


War Of Hearts

by malechunters



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-05-31 07:37:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 26,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6461566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malechunters/pseuds/malechunters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For years, the lands of Eidolon and Idris had been at war. The opposing Kings were ready to fight the final battle, and all were ready to watch the downfall of one of the lands, though none knew which it was to be.<br/>When Prince Magnus stumbled upon Prince Alexander somewhere on the boundaries of Idris and Eidolon, he didn’t think twice about accepting the offer of returning to Idris with him, especially after he’d found out exactly who Alexander was. As they say- keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

It had started almost two hundred years previously, over the placing of the border between Eidolon and Idris. Some argued that, as Eidolon was a much older country, it deserved the land that it had rightfully earned. However, others argued that Idris, the smaller of the two lands, deserved more, as Eidolon already had all the land it actually needed. 

After several battles and a few years fighting, Idris was awarded the land, and the two lands became equal in size. But this equality made them hate each other, for Eidolon claimed that Idris had taken something from them. With every passing year, the hatred between them grew, and they fought over the smallest things. It had been ingrained into the rulers heads to hate the opposing countries and to order war over anything they could fight for. As Kings came and went, as did the people who had originally been part of the first war. But that didn’t mean anyone forgot what either country had done to theirs.

When the Queen of Eidolon fell pregnant with her son, the people of Idris were desperate to ruin Eidolon’s happiness. Not long after the new Prince was born, the Queen of Idris fell pregnant with her first child. That just became another thing to argue about. The people of both countries were desperately trying to celebrate and to show how much joy they were getting from the new Princes. Some thought it was petty, but others were desperate for more wars just to bring the downfall of the other country.

Not long after the Prince of Eidolon was born, the Queen was pronounced dead. This news seemed to become a laughing matter in Idris, especially when the Prince of Idris was born, and his mother was perfectly healthy. 

Eidolon did not start any wars with Idris for a while, neither did they show any signs of offence at the fact that the other country found joy in the death of the Queen. They stayed as a strong country, but mourned their Queen. The King mirrored his country, by mourning his late wife, but caring for his son and making sure he was strong.

And that was the way it stayed for many years. The nations watched their Princes grow up- Idris also had a new Princess two years after their Prince was born- and all was good. They had no wars, and the nations were thriving. 

But, as expected, between two rival nations that lived for fighting each other, that was not the way it was going to stay forever.

* * *

 

Magnus thought that court time was boring. The constant mumbling of other bored people distracted him, and his father’s yawning started to annoy him too. The mauve and grey doublet and hose he had to wear was too dull for the way he liked to dress. The only thing he did enjoy about court was the fact that he got to wear his favourite accessory- his golden crown, fitted with rubies that sparkled and glittered and made him feel even more royal. He could only wear his crown at formal events, so this was one of the few times he actually got to wear it. And it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

His throne wasn’t all that comfortableIt wasn’t as grand as his father’s, but it was made from dark red velvet, and, just like his crown, was fitted with rubies. It was okay to sit on at first, but after a while it started to feel like he was sitting on stone. He shifted every so often, which received glares from his father, who was sitting upright, maintaining his perfect posture. 

Magnus knew that he was not the most perfect Prince. He was sure the Prince of Idris was more perfect than him. But he knew the people liked him, and that was what his father had raised him to be. Liked. Magnus was to be a good King, a kind one, and one that could lead the people of Eidolon to victory in any wars they were to face. Magnus knew he could do that, and because he was so sure of that, people believed it too. Which was why no one other than the King commented on Magnus’ relatively poor etiquette. 

It seemed like years had passed, but finally the King excused everyone, including his son, from court. As was customary, Magnus followed closely behind his father, showing his support to the King, as they were lead by the guards back to the main part of the castle, where their main living quarters were. Magnus made his way to his own chambers, leaving his father to do whatever else.

Though he was close with his father, unlike the public believed, he did not spend all of his time by his side. Magnus spent most of his time in his own chambers, or in the library, reading as many books as he could. 

Magnus opened the door to his chambers, the two guards who followed him everywhere stopped outside, standing either side of the door. He closed it behind him, and then walked straight across to his bed. He didn’t waste any time in flopping down, his crown tumbling off of his head and rolling somewhere on the bed. He closed his eyes, and listened to the silence of the room. It seemed like easy work, being the next in line to the throne, but it really wasn’t. A full day of sitting around doing nothing really did take its toll. 

That was why he fell asleep almost instantly. If his father had been there, he would have shouted at him for sleeping in his court clothes, and for not getting a maid to come and help him change into his night clothes. It wasn’t even night anyway- it was mid afternoon, and the sun wasn’t even starting to set. 

But when Magnus did wake up, it was to the sound of one of his maids knocking on his door. It took him a moment to register what was going on, but when he did, he murmured a permission for the maid to enter. 

“Your highness,” She said, curtseying to Magnus. “It is time to eat.”

“Mm,” Magnus let his eyes drop shut again, starting to falling asleep.

“Sir,” The maid bothered him again. “I do apologise, but your father wishes for you to join him. He made strict commands that you are to eat the meal with him.”

“Huh,” Magnus opened his eyes, and then sat up. The room spun a little, and when he tried to stand up, he just fell back down on the bed. The maid hurried over, her dark dress dragging on the floor behind her. She helped him back up, and this time he stayed up. She then picked up his crown, and laid it on the box next to the bed. 

“Here, I’ll return this to the throne room, if you would please just make your way to the dining hall.”

“Alright,” Magnus nodded. He rubbed his eyes, and then did as he was told. He’d learned that, though he was higher than the maids, he was also a lot younger, and they told him what needed to be done. And if he didn’t do it, they did tend to scold him. 

He made his way almost blindly down to the dining hall. His eyes were glued shut, and he was trying to pry them apart, but to no avail. 

When he did finally make it down there, his father was sitting at the head of the table, already eating alone. Most meals were like this. They did not have any other family, as the King had been an only child, as had Magnus. They _were_ the royal family, although there wasn’t much of it. 

“Magnus, I’m glad you could join me.” His father said, as he wandered over to the table. He sat on the seat to the right of his father, and picked up the glass of wine that had already been poured for him. 

“I’m glad that I woke up in time.” Magnus replied. His father just shook his head at him. 

“You sleep too much, Magnus. Perhaps you should go out and do something, rather than stay in your room, reading all day.”

“Perhaps that is my only form of enjoyment.” Magnus put his glass back down, but thankfully the wine had woken him up slightly, which meant he didn't spill it everywhere. He picked up his cutlery, and was about to start eating, but his father started talking again. 

“I think you should go and join the army.”

Magnus could not help but snort at his fathers comment. Him? The army? Absolute nonsense. Magnus had not shown any interest in joining in with the violence that was the Eidolon army. He’d made it clear to his father that he was more interested in having an education rather than knowing how to wield a sword. The only thing he’d ever actually taken up was horse riding. 

“That’s a horrid idea, father.”

“I don’t agree,” The King took a sip of his own wine, and watched as Magnus tried to ignore him by starting to eat. “I think that, as you are now of a good enough age to become a ruler, you should at least learn how to command an army. Afterall, it shall be your army one day.”

“I don’t want to lead the army though. I will happily sit in the sidelines and suggest some things they can do, but I’d much prefer that someone else takes the lead. I will just mess it up, anyway.”

“Which is why you should learn now. If you do not want to lead the army, the people will not want you as King anymore.”

Magnus didn’t reply. He’d assumed that this day would come, but he’d hoped it would be further in the future. 

“If you are at an age you can marry, then you should be at the age to lead an army.” His father said.

“But I do not wish to marry, you know this.”

“So then you should lead the army instead.”

“Father, no,” Magnus shook his head. He stopped eating. If he’d known his father would start a conversation about this, then he would have just gone and hidden in the library until dinner was over. “I shall not lead the army. That is your job. I am quite happy to watch and wait until the time comes, when I actually do have to do something.”

“That’s not the attitude to have,” his father scolded him. “Well, I’m sending you west to join with the forces anyway. You have no choice.”

“I shall just not go.”

The King slammed a fist down on the table. He had a horrible temper. “But now I am forcing you!” 

Magnus ignored him. He finished his meal, and then left the table without excusing himself. If his father was going to force him into the army, then he was going to force his father into worrying for his sons life. He was his fathers son afterall. They had the same extreme stubbornness.

He made his way upstairs, to his chambers, and ordered one of his guards to find him a case small enough to strap to a horse. “Tell my father that I asked for this and I shall have you executed…or something like that.” Magnus had warned them. 

When he had the case, he filled it with some clothes and his favourite book. The essentials for running away from home. When it got late, and he had the cover of darkness to hide him, he made his way down towards the stable. On his way there, he passed the throne room, which no one had locked yet. He ran in, and saw his crown, seated neatly next to his fathers. He picked it up, and quickly put it in his case. “For an emergency.” He whispered to himself. 

He went back on track to the stables, and when he arrived, he ordered the stable boy to bring him his favourite horse, Athos. The boy did not even question him, and within moments, Magnus was out of the castle grounds, and in the streets of the town. It didn’t take him all that long to get out of the city and into the countryside, where there were less people, and who were less likely to see him. He had absolutely no idea which way he was headed. All he knew was that, if he kept on riding, as far as he could go, it would take his father longer to find him, and also gave his father more time to rethink the decision of sending him to join the army. 

Sometimes, Magnus had good ideas. Sometimes he didn’t. He just couldn’t tell whether this was a good idea or a bad one yet. 


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prince Alexander meets Magnus, the mysterious man from not around Idris. And as anyone would do, takes the handsome man home with him.

The winter mornings in Idris were cold. Sometimes so cold that you could see you own breath in the air in front of you. Most expected snow throughout winter, and cool breezes paired with warm heat during the summer. But at that exact moment in time, Alec felt like he was going to turn into a snowman. 

He did not complain, though. He did not complain as his crown was forced upon his head in the throne room, he did not complain as he hurried to eat his breakfast, and he did not complain as he climbed up onto his horse not long after downing a hot cup of tea and a slice of bread. Alec did not complain. He was a soldier who lived like clockwork, and that was all he would ever be. 

He heard his sister arguing with their mother as he made sure his horse was ready to go. Izzy ran into the stable, wrapped up in a blanket, but with male clothes on, and her dark hair pinned back against her head.

“I want to go with Alec,” Izzy said, gripping the reigns of the horse to prevent Alec from going anywhere. “If he gets to go, why can’t I?”

“Isabelle, you are a lady and a princess- you are _not_ riding a horse!” Their mother shouted. Izzy did not back down. 

“Alec deserves to be able to relax. I’m sure no one would notice if I was riding one day instead of him.”

“I’m sure they would,” The Queen said. She pulled Izzy’s hand from the horse, making it move back slightly. Alec patted it’s neck. “You are a lot shorter than Alec, and not to mention a _woman_!”

“You’ve already said that, mother. _I still want to go!_ ”

“Hey, Izzy, maybe another day,” Alec said to his sister, who looked up at him, looking slightly upset, but also hopeful. 

“Fine,” She muttered, and then left the stables, closely followed by her mother. Alec sighed, really not all that surprised by his sisters desperation to go riding. She had been forced to act and look like a proper princess, and though she’d done well at doing that, it didn’t mean she actually enjoyed it. 

He stopped thinking about Izzy, and then shook the reigns, signalling for his horse to move. It did, and soon enough, they were riding through open countryside, down towards the borders of Idris and Eidolon. 

It wasn’t all that far to get there, and originally, Idris had been a part of Eidolon. In fact, the Royal castle of Idris was the original Royal Eidolon castle. But since the war two hundred years ago, Idris had taken significant amounts of land away from Eidolon. 

Alec was the model Prince of Idris. He questioned nothing that his father said or did. He stood by his side constantly, and when needed, he also took control. He was popular with the people of Idris, and everyone was excited for him to take the throne.

The only thing Alec did not do well at was accepting that he needed a wife. There were many good suitors for him, and many times his parents had tried to set him up with one, but he had rejected them every time. He claimed that his heart was too set on making sure the country was good, and that love would come in its own time...but really it was because he just _wasn’t into girls_. 

Of course, he would never tell anyone that. Izzy knew, of course. He and his sister were inseparable, and that was one of the things that made him even more popular. It didn’t take much for his sister to actually work out that he wasn’t at all interested in marrying a girl, seen as every time his parents, or anyone, mentioned that a possible suitor was coming to stay at the castle for a while, he’d wrinkle his nose, and look relatively disgusted. 

It wasn’t like he would not marry, though. He would never marry a man, that was for sure. It was the highest sin-for a man to be in love with another man, and especially for a prince to be in love with another man. But like he’d said, love would come with time- Alec planned to meet a girl eventually, whom he got along well with, and marry her. He could not stand to spend the rest of his life with a spoilt Duke’s daughter, but he did hope that one day a girl would come along who he would become be close friends with, and it would do him no harm in pretending to be in love with her.

For now though, he did not complain at the life he’d been given. He rode, every morning, to the border of Idris, to look out for armies, or anything he could spot. He never did spot anything, though. It was really just an excuse to spend a few hours alone, before returning to the castle to spend a day being rushed around, and doing his princely duties.

When he arrived at the border, he climbed off of his horse, and tied the reigns to a tree. He patted her head, and reached into the sack tied around her. He fed her a carrot, and then walked away, trusting her, like he did everyday, to stay where she was. 

He pulled his cloak around him, and breathed out, watching his breath become smoke in the air. The simple things in life amused him, unlike the extravagant things, which tended to bore him to no end. He counted his steps in his head… _99_ … _100…_ and then turned around, walking another one hundred steps in the other direction. He did this several times, each time removing his crown, spinning it in his hands a couple of times, and then putting it back on his head. He passed the time doing nothing, which was exactly what he loved doing. 

Alec liked when he had absolutely no distractions, though. Some called the border unholy ground, as so many people had died here, and so there had to be hundreds, if not thousands of dead bodies hidden under the earth. That was why he loved coming here- no distractions. No one came to the unholy ground, unless they were passing through. Even then, they’d hurry to leave. Today, however, was not a day without distraction. 

Alec, out of the corner of his eye, saw someone riding towards him at full speed. He did not know exactly what to do, as he’d never experienced someone riding a horse at him, probably trying to mow him down.

Once the person was barely a few meters away, Alec reacted just in time, throwing himself to the floor, his body hitting the damp and muddy ground. His face was buried in the dirt, and he coughed as he lifted his head up. 

He thought, at first, that the person had kept on riding, but also that it had suddenly become nighttime. He then realised that his eyes were closed still, still waiting for that impact. He opened them, and saw his assassin sitting atop his horse, right in front of him. 

“I am so sorry,” The man said, looking down at him. “I didn’t even see you there. It’s too foggy. You should probably be wearing brighter clothes.”

Alec didn’t really know how to respond. He just stared up at the man, and then looked at his horse, who was busy nibbling on the grass. 

The man took Alec by surprise when he hopped down off the horse, and walked over to him. He offered Alec a hand up, who took it, pulling himself to his feet. He was a lot shorter than Alec, by a good few inches, but held himself a lot better than the Prince. 

“I’m Magnus, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” The man said, and Alec couldn’t help but laugh. He’d almost hit him with a speeding horse, and now this man was trying to get to know Alec. How peculiar. 

“Alec-Alexander,” Alec corrected himself. When meeting with strangers he should always refer to himself as Alexander. Or at least thats what his mother had taught him. “We, uh, we should really- uh we should probably get- I mean—”

Magnus was just staring at him, a small smile on his face. Alec swallowed. Then Magnus’ eyes travelled up to the crown on Alec’s head. Somehow, it had not fallen off when he fell, but was at an almost impossible angle on his head. He reached out, removing it, and bringing it down to his level. Alec didn’t even try to stop him. 

“Would this make you Prince Alexander, by any chance?” Magnus asked. Alec nodded. “Prince Alexander…of Idris?” Alec nodded again. Magnus’ eyes seemed to sparkle. “My, what an honour it is to meet you, your highness.” He bowed, and Alec felt his cheeks turn red. 

“I-uh- you don’t have to do that.”

“Why not? The future King? Of course, I must bow to you.” Magnus had something that seemed like a smirk on his face, but he did not seem like he was teasing Alec. He replaced the crown back on Alec’s head, and then walked over to his horse. He patted him on the head, and the horse whinnied softly. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, but what are you doing on the Eidolon border at this time of morning?” Alec asked. Magnus look back at him, and shrugged. 

“I’m not from around here, actually,” Magnus said, and Alec frowned. “I come from somewhere far away, and I’m quite lost. I don’t have anywhere to go.”

Alec stood up straighter, and gained Magnus’ undivided attention for all of three seconds. 

“Well, I am a ruler of this country, and as a ruler, I would like to offer you a place in the castle,” Alec’s shoulders dropped again. His confidence never really lasted for all that long. “If you would like it.”

“A place in the royal castle?” Magnus asked, and Alec nodded. “My, are you sure you can do that? I could be anyone, yet you are allowing me into your home.”

“Yes,” Alec straightened the crown on his head. “You seem well dressed, and though you almost killed me a moment ago, I can’t leave you on your own. You are welcome to stay with my family for a while, until you are able to find your own way back home.”

Magnus smiled at him. His smile was not one that showed teeth, but his eyes were shining, so Alec could tell that he was genuinely grateful for the offer. 

“Thank you, Prince Alexander,” Magnus moved around his horse, grabbed the saddle, and hoisted himself back up onto the horse. “I will take you up on that offer.”

“Okay,” Alec watched him, and then realised he was just staring. He quickly averted his attention away from Magnus, but not before the other man could notice. “Alright, follow me. Let me get my horse.”

“Lead the way, your highness,” Magnus said, and started trotting along beside Alec.

Once Alec was back up on his horse, and he’d given Magnus something to drink and eat, they started to ride back to the castle. Alec didn’t know exactly why he was letting a random man into the castle. Really, Magnus could have been anyone. But he looked and seemed trustworthy. It was the right think to do, anyway. And Alec couldn’t help but like him. Really, really like him-

He had lost concentration of riding, and had to quickly focus again, before almost riding his horse into a tree. He heard Magnus chuckle from a few meters away, and felt his cheeks go read, and that wasn’t even because of the harsh winds battering his face. 

The ride felt like it took ages, but really it took no more than an hour or two. It felt long because, for some unknown reason, Alec was desperate to not embarrass himself. He rarely did embarrass himself, but he felt on edge. Like every move he made could end in embarrassment. 

When they did arrive back to the castle, no one questioned who the man following behind Prince Alexander was. Expect for the King and Queen. 

Alec explained that this was Magnus, the son of a Duke in Coelum, their neighbouring country. He’d become lost when entering the country trying to meet a family friend, and had wound up on the border of Eidolon and Idris. 

Of course, this was all lies. But Alec knew absolutely nothing about Magnus, and had deemed it rude to try and find out. 

They let him, stay, but on the condition that he left as soon as he’d had a reply from his friend in Idris. Alec took Magnus to his study, where he allowed him to write a letter, which Alec had planned to deliver himself, which meant just throwing it out when nobody was watching. 

“We’ve barely met, and you're lying to your parents for me?” Magnus asked, and Alec did not reply. “I’ll take it as a compliment. I’ll be out of your hair soon enough, your highness. Once again, I’m ever so grateful for you letting me stay at your home.”

“Don’t mention it,” Alec said, waiting by the door, for Magnus to follow him, so he could show him where he was going to be sleeping. 

Alec, himself, couldn’t actually understand why he’d allowed Magnus in, but he didn’t want to retrace his steps. It would not hurt him, letting Magnus stay in his home for a couple of days. Afterall, he was sure that he’d leave anyway. If he didn’t, then he’d just order him to leave. Alec was the Prince of Idris, which meant he had way more power than Magnus. 

Alec left Magnus in his chambers to make himself at home, and Alec returned to his room, where he flopped down onto his bed. He didn’t even realised that he’d still had his crown on. It rolled onto the bed, and for once in his life, Alec didn’t replace it back into it’s box. Instead, he stared up at the ceiling, and wondered why he was such a nice person. 


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's nothing more relaxing than sitting in a library with your mortal enemies. Or at least that's what Magnus thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short filler chapter. enjoy!

Magnus was not one for spying people, but this just had to be done. He needed to make sure his suspicions were true, which he was almost certain they were. It was for the good of people everywhere, if he did what he was about to do. 

So he did it. 

He poked his head into the room where Prince Alexander was pulling his shirt over his head, the dark blue silk fabric ruffling the Prince’s hair a little. He watched as he ran his hands through his hair, not even noticing that Magnus was watching. _Yes,_ Magnus thought. His suspicions were correct. Prince Alexander managed to somehow look almost angelic all day round. It took Magnus at least an hour to look even slightly presentable. But Alexander, on the other hand-

“Magnus!” Magnus focused back to the real world when he heard the Prince gasp his name. He also focused bad on Alexander’s face, who looked utterly horrified by his presence. 

Without saying anything, he very awkwardly closed the door, and slid back against the wall, as if he would be able to blend into his surroundings. This did not go to plan as, within a few seconds, Alexander was in front of him, his pale cheeks red, and his eyes wide. 

“Good morning?” Alexander said, and Magnus wanted to ask him why he was so confused, but he already knew the answer. 

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to scare you.”

Alexander shook his head. “I’m not scared. I was just surprised to see you, that was all.”

“Then I apologise for surprising you,” Magnus replied, and noticed Alexander smile very slightly. 

“I do hope you will excuse me,” Alexander was holding his crown in his hands, which he carefully placed atop his head.

“Royal duty calls?” Magnus asked, and this time, Alexander actually did smile, even though it was small. 

“Every morning and evening we have to go to the throne room just to swear loyalty to my father,” Alec informed him. “You’d never know what utter ridiculousness occurs in a throne room. It’s all highly pretentious.”

Magnus stopped himself from saying that he actually knew what morning oaths in the throne room were like. He’d taken part in oaths since he was able to walk and talk, and those skills had come to him at quite a young age. 

“I must go. And then I shall ride to the border. I’ll be back around noon.” Alexander said, and excused himself from Magnus. Magnus watched him go, watched the sunlight shining in through the windows, which made Alexander look like a dark blue river. He couldn’t force himself to move, until Alexander had completely disappeared. The prince had put him in a trance. 

When he did eventually come out of the trance, he made his way in the opposite direction, initially making his way to his chambers, but somehow coming across a room filled to the brim with books. He assumed it was the library, and so decided to let himself in. 

Magnus hated being apart from his library back home, but a plan was a plan and he was not going to leave, when he could return to Eidolon with information on the Idris royal family, and what their plans were for Eidolon. 

For now, he could entertain himself by reading, and spying on Prince Alexander, who was just so stunning in every way that Magnus wished he was a book, so he could read him over and over again. But words could not actually explain how beautiful the Prince really was. 

It wasn’t like Magnus was surprised by what the Prince of Idris looked like. He’d heard so many rumours around Eidolon, that women were starting to leave Eidolon for Idris, in hopes to win the Prince’s heart. He didn’t blame them, really. Magnus would happily leave Eidolon for Alexander. 

Of course, he wouldn’t. He too was a Prince, and he was also loyal to his country. Not only that, but the fact that Alexander more than likely had absolutely no interest in him whatsoever was also a contributing factor. 

He had noticed the way that the Prince got a little flustered around him, but who wouldn’t, when someone was staring at you all the time, and was attempting to flirt with you, because that was really the only way Magnus knew how to talk to someone that attractive. 

Magnus always seemed to get lost in books, which explained why he didn’t notice the Princess come into the room, and stand there, staring at him for a good few minutes. When he did look up, it was only because she had coughed, in an attempt to get his attention. He didn’t even get the chance to speak, before she started to. 

“What are you doing in here?” She asked. Magnus opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. “This is a private library, for only the royal family and their guests. Did you know that? I’m sure you didn’t. But why are you in here anyway? Should I go to call the guards, or-”

“Your highness,” Magnus cut in, already bored of the Princess’ babbling. “I am, in fact, a guest in your castle. Your brother invited me to stay here, before I leave in a few days.”

The Princess frowned, but instead of asking about what he was doing in the room again, she walked over and sat next to Magnus. “So you’re Magnus, then? My brother was talking about you to my parents earlier. Something about letting you stay here as long as you needed. I tend not to get into their business.”

“I am indeed Magnus. I am also honoured that your brother would let me stay here as long as I need to.”

“He’s a good man, my brother,” The Princess grinned- Magnus could tell instantly that she was fond of Alexander. She held out her hand, which Magnus took, and shook. “I’m Isabelle. Or Izzy. What ever you’d prefer. Princess is good too. Or you could continue calling me ‘your highness’. I’m not picky.” 

Magnus laughed, and assumed that out of the two of them, Izzy was much more relaxed about life than her brother was.

“I see you like reading then?” Izzy asked, and Magnus nodded. 

“Back home, I have a library too,” Magnus said, and then realised that he was supposed to be the son of a Duke, not a Prince. “Nothing as grand as this, though.” He lied. 

“We have a bigger library downstairs,” Izzy informed him. “This is just mine and my brothers book room. We had too many rooms doing absolutely nothing. And I do love to read. There’s not much else to do in a castle this size.”

“I can imagine,” Magnus replied. “I’ve never been in a castle this big.”

“We own more,” Izzy looked absolutely amused by her families wealth. “More in other countries, more in other parts of Idris. Father also wants to get the castle in Eidolon. I don’t see the point. It just means initiating another war.”

Magnus swallowed. Hard. That must mean that the King had been discussing another war with his men. The plan may even include killing the royal Eidolon family, which included Magnus himself.

“Don’t look so upset,” Izzy said. “I’m sure father will not attempt to take any more of Eidolon. We have enough already. I’m sure not having another castle will not ruin his life.”

“You’re right,” Magnus nodded. “And I’m not upset. I was just confused as to why Idris wants more of Eidolon.”

“Didn’t you know?” Izzy asked. “We’ve been on the verge of war for years. Both countries want more of each other- they’re just looking for the right time and the right excuse to fight for it. The only really bad thing that has happened between us was the death of the Eidolon Queen, after she gave birth to her son. Idris laughed at that. We can be cold. But Eidolon did not want a war over that. Even I’m wanting this war to just happen already”

“I knew all of that, I just-” Magnus shrugged. He did not, and had never really understood the desperation to beat either countries up. But that seemed to be just him. Even the young Princess wanted a war. It’s not even as if Eidolon had done anything to her. 

Izzy placed a light hand on his shoulder, but only left it there for a moment, as the door opened, and Alexander walked in. He looked tired, and Magnus assumed it was from the ride to the border and back. He didn’t even take any notice of his sister and Magnus, just threw himself down on one of the sofas in the corner of the room, his eyes instantly closing, blocking out everything around him. 

Magnus couldn’t take his eyes off of him, and it seemed that, though Alexander couldn’t see, he could tell that Magnus was just staring at him. 

He opened one of his eyes, and looked straight at Magnus and Izzy. 

“Can I help you?” He asked. 

“Why don’t you just go to sleep?” Izzy suggested. 

“I’m trying to sleep here,” Alec closed his eyes again. “Libraries are supposed to be quiet.”

“This isn’t even the real library though,” Magnus chimed in, and he heard Alec let out a loud breath. 

“Whatever,” Alec shuffled to make himself more comfortable. “I’m glad you have both got to know each other, but I’d really like it if you continued to get to know each other on the other side of the castle.”

“Gosh, Alec, why are you so grumpy?” Izzy laughed, and Magnus smiled when he saw Alexander smirk at Izzy’s comment.

“Not grumpy- tired,” He corrected her. “Now please, read a book or leave the room. I’d like to sleep.”

Izzy walked over to Alexander, and ruffled his hair. He tried to move away, but she just followed after him, making his hair turn into loose curls upon his head. Magnus didn’t know how he’d suddenly become even more attractive by having messy hair. He didn’t question it.

When Izzy did leave her brother alone, she grabbed a book and sat on the chair by the window. Magnus took this as the signal to return to his book that he’d been reading before Izzy had come in and interrupted him. 

This time, however, he couldn’t concentrate. At first, he wondered if this was what it was like, to have siblings. He’d never experienced having someone else around his own age at his home with him. It was peaceful- being able to just sit in a room together, saying nothing, but having the comfort of having someone else there to make you feel less lonely. 

Then Magnus’ attention turned towards Alexander, who was breathing evenly and softly, frowning slightly in his sleep, but other than that, looking peaceful. It made Magnus feel peaceful too, seeing, even for a few moments, how relaxed Alexander was, and how beautiful he was. 

He didn’t want to stare for much longer, though he wished he was able to. But Izzy might notice what he was looking at, so he returned to the book, finally being able to sink back into the deep concentration one needed to read. 


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems like there are more wars Alec has to fight than just fighting the urge to sleep.

Alec was woken up by someone shaking him forcefully. He opened one eye, and when he saw that it was Magnus, he opened the other. His mind, for some reason, didn’t listen to a word Magnus said- he just focused on his lips, and then his eyes, and he noticed that they were a dark brown, but had gold flecks all over and-

“Your highness, honestly, I get that you were asleep but you really can’t sleep with your eyes open, can you? I’m trying to tell you something.” Alec blinked wildly, and then sat up, so quickly that he thought he was going to pass out for a moment. 

“My apologies,” Alec muttered, and then looked at Magnus. “What were you saying?”

“I said,” Magnus stepped back to allow the Prince to stand up. “Your father wishes to talk to you. I’ve no idea where. Isabelle left not long ago and then came back to alert you. But she said you’re extremely grumpy when you wake up, so I offered to wake you up. I don’t see what she’s talking about.”

“I can be grumpy,” Alec informed him, but then shook his head at himself. “Not the point. Did Izzy say what my father wanted?”

“No. It seems you must hunt for your father without knowing what you are hunting for,” Magnus’ eyes had a glint in them. “How exciting.”

“He’ll be in his study,” Alec moved around Magnus, and walked over to the door. Magnus wasn’t far behind him. 

“Well, that’s just ruined half of the excitement,” Alec opened the door, and then looked back at Magnus, who looked genuinely disappointed at the fact that Alec already knew where his father was.

“You wait here, I shan’t be long.” 

Magnus did as he was told, and let Alec close the door in his face. Alec composed himself, but could not rid his mind of the golden flecks of Magnus’ eyes. And his lips. And his face, and-

“Stop,” Alec whispered to himself. Magnus was a man, as was he. He didn’t even like Magnus anyway. And he’d known him for not much longer than a day. He did not like Magnus. But he did have to force himself to believe that. 

* * *

Robert was the King of Idris. He was a man in his late forties, with a calm face, and a caring nature. The people of Idris liked him, for he’d managed to keep the peace between Eidolon and Idris, but had also promised to make Idris stronger that it had ever been.

Not only was he a good King, but he and his wife, who’d been the daughter of a powerful duke, had produced Alexander- the perfect heir to the throne. That had made him even more popular, and had also made him certain of his place on the throne right up to his death. 

He tended not to be afraid or worried, either. He'd heard rumours of Eidolon preparing attacks against Idris (which all ended up being untrue- but in the face of danger, he kept his calm and made sure his army was prepared in case of sudden violence. 

Today, however he was worried, and on the verge of becoming afraid. 

He was pacing up and down in his study, his wolf fur coat trailing along the floor behind him. His crown was perched on top of his head, and his forehead had a horrible crease in it from trying to think how to solve the issue at hand. 

When Alec walked in, it seemed as if even more weight had been placed upon his shoulders. He'd expected the presence of his son to reassure him, but he just become worried for the safety of his family. 

"Alec," Robert said, almost solemnly. He stopped pacing, and looked at in son, in the hopes that that added weight would some how disappear. 

"Father?" Alec asked. His eyes were wide and worried, despite not even knowing what his father was about to say to him. Robert assumed that his son could just tell something was wrong from the way he'd said Alec's name. 

Alec closed the door behind him, and stepped further into the study. Robert turned his back to him, and walked over the globe that was perched on his desk. He spun it, his fingers gliding over the surface ever so carefully. 

"You have been a Prince for eighteen years now," Robert started. "And you've prepared to be King for over ten of those."

"Father?" Alec had absolutely no idea what his father was talking about. Was he going to abdicate?

"You have also trained to be a leader, and an example of a soldier," Robert turned back to face his son, leaning back on the desk slightly. "Now it is time to put that training into action."

Alec frowned. "What do you mean?"

Robert took a few steps forward, so he was standing closer to his son. Alec was taller than him, by an inch or so, so he didn't have to crane his head that much. "It's Eidolon," Robert informed him. "The Prince has gone missing."

"What does that have to do with us?" Alec asked. 

"They believe that we have him hostage, or we have killed him," Robert looked away from Alec. He could not face him. "To start another war."

"But we haven't? Would they not believe us?"

"There's been bad blood between us for far too long Alexander!" Robert had to move away again. He walked over to the window, and looked out of it. He could see the palace gardens from here. He took a deep breath, and hung his head. "They would never believe us, even if we were telling the truth. It's just an excuse for another war. This has been on the cards for so long, and the disappearance of their Prince is a good enough reason in their books. Especially if they can blame it on us."

Robert heard Alec take a deep breath. He hadn't even attempted to predict Alec's reaction to the news. 

"Well then, if it's a war they want, then it is a war they shall get."

Robert turned around to face his son, almost shocked by what he'd said. "Yes," Robert agreed, but he couldn't stop his voice from shaking a little. He was strong, but the thought of war still scared him to this day. It seemed his son was not as scared as he was. 

"Should we call court?" Alec asked. "We could ride to Eidolon first thing tomorrow. If we are the first to ride, we have more chance of success."

"Yes, call court. I shall meet you in the lounge in an hour." Robert said, though now, he was unsure on whether war would be the best idea. He'd thought about it for years, and wanted it too, but now- was it really the best option?

Alec excused himself, to leave his father to ponder the idea. Robert, admittedly, had never been one for war. He'd fought them, and had won them, but he'd never enjoyed them or wanted anymore. He'd just promised the people what they wanted, and it seemed that he'd brought Alec into wanting it too. 

* * *

Alec wasted no time in returning to Magnus. The man was at the front of his mind, and it seemed he would not be leaving there anytime soon.

He opened the door to the library, where Magnus was still sitting, on the chair by the window, where Izzy had been earlier. He didn't look up when Alec walked in, but did look up when Alec pulled the book out of his hands. 

"Magnus, please, I don't want to be a bother, but-"

Magnus frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You have to come- uhm, with me, there's- it's a long story-"

"Alexander, you seem distressed. Take a breath, and then talk to me."

Alec did not know why he'd decided to go to Magnus. He was supposed to go to alert the court of what his father had told him, but his feet had led him here. And now he was panicking, something he’d been taught never to do, especially in front of a stranger, which, in reality, Magnus was. He was Prince- he wasn’t supposed to show his weaknesses. 

Alec took a deep breath. “The Prince. Of Eidolon. He disappeared, or has been kidnapped, or _killed,_ or something, and Eidolon are blaming us. I don’t-” He took another deep breath. He’d never been this nervous before. “I don’t know what to do.”

It seemed like Magnus’ face fell. Alec didn’t know why. Maybe he already assumed what Alec was going to say next. 

“They’re declaring war- if we don’t tell them what happened, or give the Prince back, they will fight us.”

Magnus didn’t keep eye contact with Alec, and Alec had no idea why. Alec wanted him to do something, or say something. He needed some form of reassurance. Even if Magnus did have to lie.

Magnus then stood up. He walked over to the bookshelves, and placed his book back where it had come. Alec watched him, wondering if he was going to say or do something. He stayed, standing in front of the bookshelf, with his back towards Alec. Alec knew he should probably leave, to go and call court for his father, but he wanted to talk to Magnus. He couldn’t help but want Magnus to support him. It wasn’t like Izzy could- she was a girl, which meant she wouldn’t be allowed to help out during times of war. 

It felt like ages, but a few seconds passed, and then Magnus turned back around to face Alec. He looked troubled, but Alec couldn’t work out why. Surely, Magnus would just return home, if war was imminent? That would be what Alec would do. He’d ask for someone to take Magnus back to wherever he had come from.

“I assume you must need to call court,” Magnus said. 

Alec nodded. “Yes. I just- I came here first. I…wanted to know if you’d like someone to take you home. If war breaks out, we do not want someone from another country in our home, in case you are killed.”

“I am fine, Alexander,” Magnus assured him. “In fact, I’d be more than obliged if you’d let me stay here. Even if it is just for a few more days.”

Alec, this time, shook his head, and moved over to Magnus. “You cannot. They blame _us_ for taking the Prince. This has nothing to do with you, or your country. You have no battle to fight here.”

“It may,” Magnus whispered, so quietly that Alec almost didn’t here. “Just…please, let me stay. Let me stay another few days, and then I shall leave. I promise you that I will not be in any danger.”

Alec stared at him, and Magnus stared back. Alec couldn’t help but feel like Magnus looked guilty about something. There was something on his face that seemed a lot like guilt, or worry.

He didn’t question it. 

He didn’t reply to Magnus. Instead, he started to walk towards the door, but before he could move all that far, Magnus grabbed his wrist, and pulled him back towards him. 

They were close, barely two inches apart. Alec could feel Magnus’ breath on his face. They held eye contact, until Alec broke it, as he could feel his cheeks starting to heart up. He heard Magnus chuckle ever so slightly, which made him blush harder. 

“I’ll be here when you come back, your highness,” Magnus whispered, and Alec thought- and hoped- that Magnus would just _kiss_ him. 

He didn’t. He let go of Alec’s wrist, and turned back to the bookshelf, studying the books that were there. Alec’s heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest. He did not say another thing. He just left Magnus, and hurried away from whatever was left hanging in the air inside the room.


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec get a taste of the unexpected. Literally.

That night, Magnus did not sleep. He could not even bear to close his eyes. When he tried, all he could see was his father, preparing the troops, readying themselves to attack Idris, attack _Alec -_ and it was all his fault. If he had not run away, if he’d just agreed to join the army, then maybe, if he’d become King, there would have been no more wars between Eidolon and Idris. He knew that, if Alec also became King, he would not start a war either. They could have created the beginning of the end of two centuries worth of hatred between their countries. 

But Magnus would not have met Alec. Perhaps when they were older, they would have met. Nothing would ever come of their meeting though. They’d still be strangers. They’d meet in court, perhaps, to discuss peace between their two countries, but nothing more. Magnus would not see Alec up close. He wouldn’t see how peaceful he looked as he slept. There would be nothing between them other than the signing of the same piece of paper that declared there would be no more wars between Eidolon and Idris for as long as the two countries existed.

That made Magnus’ gut twist. He had known Alec for not much more that two days, but he did not wish to leave Idris. Here he was- Prince of Eidolon, wishing he could stay in Idris forever, just for the Prince with the blue eyes. 

He scolded himself, and then got up out of bed. He made his way over to his case, which was safely in the corner of the room. He opened it, and then dug around, until he found the velvet covered box at the bottom, which was hidden by a blanket. He pulled it out, sat down on the floor, and then placed it in his lap. 

He opened the box, and there, inside, was his crown, the gold and rubies glittering in the moonlight. He took it out and looked at it. If anyone found this, then he could be in big trouble. If they knew he was the Prince of Eidolon, and knew that he’d been around the Prince and Princess of Idris- he could tortured, or even executed. 

Magnus worried what Alec would think of him too. Alec had brought Magnus in, given him shelter, and Magnus did wonder where he would have gone if Alec had not found him. Magnus was a big believer in fate and destiny, and knew that it was written in the stars that he was supposed to meet Alec when he did. 

He did not hear the door creak open, and he did not notice someone walk into the room, until he saw their shadow in the moonlight. He quickly shoved his crown back in the box, and threw it into the bottom of his case, panicking, in case the person had seen what he had been holding. 

He turned around, and saw Alec, towering above him, looking down at Magnus. Magnus stood up, dusting himself off, and then looking at Alec. 

“Magnus, what are you doing up so late?” Alec asked, and Magnus glanced quickly back at the case, worried that he hadn’t replaced his crown properly. 

“I could ask you the same thing, your highness,” Magnus thanked the Gods that his voice did not crack, and show how worried he was. “I could have been asleep, and you intruded on me.”

Alec smiled ever so slightly. “I do apologise. I could not sleep. I wanted to know how you were. I did hope you were awake, though.”

“Well, you are lucky that I was awake,” Magnus moved around Alec, and walked back over to his bed. He sat down, and watched Alec as he followed him, back leaned up against the bed posts instead of sitting down too. “What can I do for you?”

“Just…talk,” Alec said. He ran a hand through his hair. He had obviously tried, and failed to sleep, as his hair was quite messy. He was wearing dark brown nightclothes, and a long black cloak. 

“Talk?” Magnus asked. “About what?”

“Anything,” Alec sat down on the bed next to Magnus. “Send me to sleep. Tell me about where you really come from. Tell me about you. I don’t know…just… _anything_.”

Magnus, of course could not do that without lying, but he _could_ skirt around the truth. “I come from a big country, to the south of Idris,” He started. Alec had closed his eyes, as if Magnus’ voice was a lullaby. “It can get too hot there, sometimes. But its nice. It’s mostly cities, but we have a lot countryside. I spent most of my life in the city, though.”

“I spent most of my time in the countryside,” Alec whispered. “Riding horses, playing with my sister…I hate the city. There are too many people, and I feel cramped.”

“I like people,” Magnus said, and Alec opened one eye to look at him. “I enjoy knowing more about people. People are like books.”

Alec opened the other eye. “What do you mean?”

“There’s so much to people that, if you don’t read between the lines, you’ll never find out,” Alec looked amused by what Magnus was saying. “There’s so much that isn’t there. So much that people keep to themselves. So much so, that some end up turning to blank pages because they have so much to hide.”

Magnus saw Alec swallow. He could tell that Alec was one of those people. He was hiding something that was almost drowning him. He suspected that Alec didn’t get a good nights sleep most nights because of it. 

“Do you have anything to hide? Are any of your pages blank?” Alec asked him. 

“A few,” Magnus smiled slightly. “But I’m readable. You may find a few missing words, but most of me makes sense.”

“That’s an interesting way to describe people,” Alec was interested in Magnus’ idea of people, he could tell. “I like it.”

Magnus smiled, a full smile. This didn’t make Alec smile, though. Magnus could tell that he was still stuck on the black pages idea. 

“Do you have blank pages, your highness?” 

Alec’s eyes dropped, not holding Magnus’ gaze anymore. He stood up, and made his way over to the window, much too close to Magnus’ case for his liking. So, Magnus followed, standing a little behind Alec, but not too close.

“It’s hard to be a Prince,” Alec started. “There’s so much people expect of you. Be a good son and brother. Be a good role model. Be a good soldier. Be a good future King. Be a good husband.” 

“Have your parents forced you to marry?” Magnus asked, and Alec shook his head. 

“Not yet. But soon they will,” Alec took a deep and quiet breath. “But I cannot. It is the one thing that my parents ask of me that I shall not do.”

“Why not? Are all your possible suitors the type of stuck up noblemen's daughters?”

“It’s not that, it’s-” Alec cut himself off, and Magnus saw him bow his head slightly.

“It’s what? Your highness, you’ve offered me shelter, and if you do not wish me to tell anyone your confession, I won’t.” 

Alec turned around to face Magnus. He didn’t seem to think twice about telling him. “I don’t like women. I like… _men_.”

It seemed so ridiculous to Magnus, who’d always considered himself someone who liked men and women equally. But he did not laugh, as he knew that it was one of the biggest sins, to like someone of the same gender. Instead, he offered Alec a small smile. 

“And that’s okay,” Magnus said. “You are who you are, Alexander. Whether you like men or women, you’re still you. There is nothing wrong with that.”

“I can’t be my true self,” Alec whispered. “All of my pages feel blank when I’m around people who do not know this secret. I feel _wrong._ ”

“Alec,” Magnus took a step forward, the Prince’s nickname feeling weird rolling off of his tongue, but feeling ever so right. “You are not wrong. Do not let yourself feel like that. You are one of the only people I’ve ever met that actually feels _right._ ”

Alec swallowed. It seemed all of his courage was coming out, right there and then. He grabbed the front of Magnus’ shirt, and pulled him towards him, their lips colliding and both of their hearts hammering in their chests. 

Alec, it seemed, had never kissed anyone in his life, but with all of his power his kissed Magnus, causing Magnus to follow him when Alec pulled away. Alec did not leave him hanging- he kissed him again, and Magnus grabbed onto Alec’s waist, pulling them tight against each other. Alec bumped his nose against Magnus’, forcing them to pull away. 

When Magnus looked at Alec, his blue eyes were wide, looking absolutely shocked at what he’d just done. He blinked a couple of times, and let go of Magnus’ shirt. 

“I’m sorry, I- _what did I just do?_ ”

Magnus frowned. “I’m sorry Alexander.”

Alec shook his head, and stepped back, falling into the wall. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No. You were right to have done that,” Magnus assured him. “I feel the same way as you do.”

“But I don’t know what I feel!” Alec looked at the ground, trying to remember what he’d done. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. I- I feel sick.”

Magnus grew concerned. “Should I fetch a nurse?” 

Alec stood up straight, and pushed past Magnus. He walked over to the bed, and leaned up against the wooden posts. “No, give me a moment.”

Magnus did so. He watched as Alec breathed heavily for a few seconds, and then composed himself again. 

“I do not even know who you are, Magnus,” Alec said. “For all I know, you could be from Eidolon. You could be a spy, trying to bring my family to ruins.”

“Do not say such ludicrous things,” Magnus ordered him. He practically stomped over to Alec, and spun him around to face him. “The last thing I’d ever want is for you and your family to be hurt. The moment I saw you, I knew I could never hurt you. And when I did see you, I did not know who you were.”

Alec looked at him, and, surprising Magnus, kissed him again, but this time, he seemed sure of what he was doing, which made Magnus’ belly flip. They kissed for a long time, with the moonlight shining in on them, and when Magnus opened his eyes for a split second, he saw that the light was causing Alec's skin to look paler than it was. Magnus didn't keep his eyes open for long- he couldn't, he was too desperate to kiss Alec, and the passion was overtaking him. 

Magnus hoped that, something in what he’d said, had assured Alec in who Magnus was, and had given him more confidence.

Even if what he'd said was mostly a lie.


	6. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When missing Princes of enemy countries come to live at your home, you better hope they do a better job at hiding who they really are than Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy this one! that you everyone for reading xo

When Alec awoke in the morning, all he could think of was Magnus. Magnus and his golden eyes, and his soft touch and way about him that made Alec feel safe. He couldn't think of anything else, but Magnus. 

He sat up, and realised that this was not his room. Nor his bed. Then he noticed Magnus in the corner of the room, curled up in a chair, a book in his lap, and his eyes focused on the page.

Alec didn't say anything to him. He looked, and watched Magnus' slim fingers as they turned the page, completely absorbed in what he was reading.

Magnus did notice Alec's gaze eventually, though. He looked up, smiled, closed the book, and then placed it down on the floor next to the chair. Then he stood up, made his way over to the bed and sat down next to Alec.

"Good morning, Alexander," Magnus whispered, and then cupped Alec's face in his hand.

Alec felt his cheeks turn red hot, which made Magnus smile. He leant forward, pressing his lips against Alec's. Alec felt like he'd melted, slipping into the kiss almost as if it was a completely natural thing to do.

Magnus pulled away, and Alec wanted to follow, but did not want to make a fool of himself. Instead, he stayed where he was, and just looked at Magnus, who seemed happy to do the same.

However, the moment did not last, as there was a knock at the door.

Both of their eyes blew wide, and Alec had no other choice but to fling the bed sheets aside, drop onto the floor and roll under the bed.

He heard Magnus take a deep breath, and then the floorboards creaked as he walked over to the door. Alec had rolled into the middle of the floor beneath the bed, and if someone got too close, he would just roll to the opposite side.

Of course it was a foolproof plan. Of course.

Then, Alec heard Izzy's voice, and though his sister knew about his secret, he started to panic. He clenched his fists as he held his breath, whilst willing himself to become invisible just for a moment, until Izzy left.

"Have you seen my brother anywhere?" Izzy asked.

There was a pause. "No I haven't." Magnus replied.

"Funny," Izzy walked around the bed, and Alec carefully and quietly rolled onto the other part of the floor. "I saw him walk past my room in the middle of the night. And he came into here. I did fall asleep, but I'm pretty sure he never came out."

"Weird," Magnus replied. Alec decided that he was a good actor. If he didn't know that he was lying, he would have definitely believed Magnus.

"Very," Izzy replied. Neither of them said anything for a moment, but then Izzy dropped to the floor like Alec had moments before, and he came face to face with her.

"Good morning Alec!" She grinned, and Alec squeezed his eyes shut, willing this to just be a dream.

* * *

It was highly embarrassing, having your sister catch you in another mans room, but what was even more embarrassing was the fact that Izzy was more happy about the Alec-Magnus thing than Alec was himself. 

For some reason, she couldn’t stop smiling, though it was growing smaller by ever second, even as she told Alec and Magnus what was happening about the war. 

“They have declared war,” She informed them, and Alec’s stomach dropped. “But they are giving us one more day for the Prince to return before they do start any kid of battle.”

“They’re holding out an olive branch,” Alec muttered, and Izzy nodded at him.

“But we don’t have the Prince, so its absolutely impossible for the war to not happen.”

Alec sighed, and looked at Magnus, who was already looking at him. Magnus reached out, and placed a calming hand on Alec’s shoulder, which somehow did make Alec feel slightly more peaceful than he originally had. 

“I have promised father that I will keep away from all the goings-on downstairs, but he does wish to speak to you,” Izzy said to Alec, and he nodded. 

“Is it alright if I stay with you?” Magnus asked Izzy, who nodded, and told him that she was going to spend most of the day in the library, which seemed to improve Magnus’ mood a little. 

Izzy was the first one to leave, trying to get Magnus and Alec alone, probably just so she could talk to Magnus about it the entire day. Her plan actually worked though, as as soon as she left, Magnus was kissing Alec again, but unlike the night before, this time Alec’s hands were around Magnus’ waist, and Magnus’ hands were in Alec’s hair. 

It seemed like only seconds when they’d pulled apart, but it must have been a good few minutes, as the sun had already gotten brighter since they’d closed their eyes. Magnus didn’t notice that detail, but Alec did, and smiled softly, before kissing Magnus once again, and then leaving.

* * *

 Downstairs, in the hall, Alec was greeted by several army leaders, and a few higher up soliders. The first person that he noticed, however, was Jace, the newly appointed field marshal of the Idris army, and the best soldier of his time. To Alec though, Jace Herondale was not just an excellent soldier- he was also Alec’s closest friend in the entire world, and Alec had to maintain his excitement as he walked over to him.

Jace’s face lit up when he saw Alec, but, unsurprisingly, Jace bowed to Alec, as it was rude not to. But then he pulled Alec in for a hug. The two of them had not seen each other for several months, as the army was based in the North, and Jace only over left if something was happening at the castle, or if the King allowed him time to visit home. 

Next to him, was Simon, Jace’s second in command. The two of them had never got along entirely- Alec had heard it was something about a girl they’d been fighting over, he’d not exactly been sure- but at the moment, they just tolerated each other, and it seemed that that was a good enough way to live for them both. 

Simon also bowed to Alec, and then shook his hand. They had known each other for a while, so were on okay terms- the only thing Alec didn’t like was the fact that Simon now had a rather obvious crush on Izzy. 

Despite all that, here were two of Alec’s closest friends, and he was only able to see them because they were facing the almost definite possibility of war, which would easily mean one of them could die. 

And just the thought of that was killing Alec already. 

“The King has only called us here as a formality, but he’s deploying us to Eidolon first thing in the morning,” Jace informed Alec. 

“I can’t believe this is all happening,” Alec muttered. “I had hoped to live my lifetime without a war.”

“But you’re prepared for war, aren’t you?” Jace asked, and Alec nodded. 

“Physically, yes. I could kill a man with a stick if I needed to,” This caused Jace to snort at him. “But mentally, no. I feel like I will start to panic if my father sends me to actually fight. It’s all too much at the moment.”

Jace patted Alec’s cheek, which was supposed to reassure him, but really didn’t. Then Simon piped up. 

“It will all be fine!” He smiled. “And besides, if it makes you feel any better, you won’t die. It’ll probably end up being Jace.”

Both Alec and Jace glared at Simon, who looked quite shocked at the fact that this comment didn’t make either of them feel better. He held his hands up in defence, and mouthed an apology. Sometimes, Alec did not know what went through Simon’s head, but he knew it couldn’t have been good. 

Alec wanted the moments he spent with his friends to last, but his father soon spotted him in the crowd of soldiers, and hurried over, pulling Alec to one side, without being able to say goodbye to Jace and Simon. 

“They’ve been deployed to fight, not to have a get-together with.” Robert practically growled, and Alec moved back slightly. It seemed his father was not in a good mood. But really, who actually was?

“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen either of them in ages, and-”

“Okay, Alec, I get it, I’m sorry,” Robert bowed his head, and then looked back up at his son. “When you’re King, you’ll see how the stress of war can get to you.”

Alec did not reply that, when he became King, he’d not allow any wars.

Robert continued. “Your sister and mother are being taken to Coelum where they will be safe whilst the war is on.”

“Why? Can they not just stay here?”

“It’s too dangerous,” Robert said. “The castle may be the first place the Eidolon army attack. I will sleep better at night knowing that Isabelle and Maryse are safe and with our allies, rather than unsafe but at home.”

Alec could not help but ask the question he couldn’t get off of his mind. “What about Magnus?”

Robert huffed. “Your free-loading friend can either join our army, or he can go home. We’ll even take him back to Coelum on the way.”

“You can’t force him to join the army.”

“No,” Robert replied. “Which is why I’m letting him make the choice. Home or here. It’s up to him. I’ve no favour of either answer so I will not force him into one.”

Alec replied. “Shall I go and ask him? He is with Izzy in the library.”

“Do as you wish,” Robert straightened his crown. “You’ll know where I am to inform me of his decision.”

So Alec went, without saying goodbye to Jace and Simon, because he had Magnus at the front of his mind. He’d had Magnus on his mind for days now, so it was nothing new, but this time, Magnus’ life could be at stake.

When he entered the library, it was only Izzy sitting there, staring out the window at all of the soldiers, flooding into the castle. She looked up when he walked in, and then stood up. 

“Have you seen Simon?”

“Have you seen Magnus?” They both said at the same time. 

“My answer first,” Izzy asked. 

“Alright,” Alec stayed standing in the door, but his sister walked over to him. “He’s fine. He was with Jace. Why are you-”

“I love him, Alec, but father won’t let me see him.”

“You haven’t seen him in months, just like I haven’t seen him or Jace.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Izzy smiled slightly. She looked quite happy, at the thought of Simon being okay, which made Alec feel quite sick. 

“And Magnus? Where is he? Father did not order him to leave, did he?”

Izzy frowned. “No, why would he do that? Nevermind- he returned to his chambers to check on something. He wouldn’t tell me what, though.”

It was now Alec’s turn to frown. “Do you think he’s still in there?”

“Possibly,” Izzy said, and that gave Alec all the hope he needed to go and find Magnus. “Tell me when you find him!” She called. 

Alec was already running, desperate to find Magnus, and quite desperate for Magnus the choice of going to Coelum, and staying there, until Alec could find him when the war was over. Alec didn’t know what they’d do then. Maybe Alec would ask to keep him as his Lord-in-waiting, or something of that sort. Just anything to keep Magnus close to him. 

When he arrived at Magnus’ chambers, the door was already open, and so Alec pushed it open. 

On the floor, by his case, was Magnus, seeming to be stuffing his clothes in forcibly. Alec had absolutely no idea what he was doing. Alec walked over to him, nevertheless, and Magnus looked up instantly, and smiled at Alec. 

“What are you doing?” Alec asked, and Magnus shrugged.

“Making sure everything is neat. I don’t want to bother the maids anymore than I already have. I’m sure your father wishes for me to leave?”

“He said you have a choice…” Alec muttered, a something caught his eye. It was a red velvet box, not much bigger than the circumference of someones head. He bent down, and picked it up. And suddenly Magnus pounced on him, knocking him and the box to the floor, completely confusing Alec to no end. 

“Magnus?” Alec shouted, and then, out the corner of his eye, strewn across the floor after falling out of its box was a crown.

Alec instantly stood up, pushing Magnus off of him, who, seeming to become desperate, grabbed at Alec’s legs, in an attempt to present Alec from getting any closer from what he’d been hiding. 

His plan didn’t work. Alec had already bent down, and picked up the golden crown. His head could not process what was happening right now. He spun the crown around in his hands, and then, engraved on the inside of the crown was the word ‘ _EIDOLON_ ’. 

Alec swallowed hard, and then, suddenly, everything made sense. The Eidolon declaration of war had stated that the Prince had been missing for a day, which was how long Magnus had been at the castle at the time. Not only that, but he’d rode from Eidolon into Idris. 

Alec looked down at him, where Magnus was looking hopelessly up at Alec. 

“You’re…” Alec couldn’t bare to look at Magnus, but knew that he had to. “You’re the Prince of Eidolon, aren’t you?”


	7. VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a very short filler chapter which explains what happened after the reveal! longer and more dramatic chapters to come! thank you everyone for reading xo

Alec dropped the crown on the floor, and it rolled over to Magnus, who didn’t even bother to acknowledge it. He was looking at Alec, who was not looking at him, but he seemed so shocked, so _horrified,_ and it left both of them speechless. 

They did and said nothing for a few moments. Then Alec looked at him, and Magnus wanted nothing more than to explain, but he just couldn’t force the words out. 

“How could you do this,” Alec said. “You…you made me believe I could trust you, and…and now…”

“Alec, please,” Magnus couldn’t speak much louder than a whisper. “Please, let me try to explain to you-”

“You _kissed_ me,” Alec’s voice grew louder, and Magnus wished that he would quieten down. “You spent time with my sister, and you stayed in my home, around my family… _you kissed me._ But all you really wanted to do was hurt me.”

Magnus had so much he could say. _I meant the kiss. I meant everything. I don’t want to hurt you. That’s the worst thing I could ever do._ But the words would not come, and he sat there, silently staring up at Alec, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. 

Alec seemed like he wanted to hit Magnus, but Magnus knew he would not. Alec clenched his fists, and then ran out, leaving Magnus sitting on the floor on his own, wondering how he could have messed up this badly. 

But, like any Prince and soon to be solider would, Magnus just got on with it. He picked up the crown, placed it back in the box, and put that inside his case, on top of his clothes. He closed the lid of the case, and, once he was on his feet, picked it up. 

As he left his chambers, he did not look back at the room, nor did he spend much time taking in the surroundings of the Idris castle as he made his way towards the stables. There was no one there, other than the stable boy, who was too busy seeing to other horses to notice Magnus unhooking Athos, strapping the case to him, climbing up, and riding off, out of the castle grounds, and due South, back into Eidolon. 

Magnus blocked out all thoughts of regret. He was not going to think like that. He was going to return home, and, if his return did not stop the war, then he was going to fight alongside his father, just like he knew he was always going to.

He just hoped, somewhere, in the back of his mind, that Alec would not be hurt. Because, even if he’d already broken Alec’s heart, he did not want to break it anymore. 

* * *

Alec was numb, as he ran back down to the hall, where his father was busy talking to Jace, and Simon, who stood beside them, looked around at the intricate architecture of the room. Alec wanted to cry. He wanted to hit something, and scream, because Magnus had completely ruined him. He’d broken him into tiny pieces, and Alec, really, had no idea how to stick his heart back together.

Jace caught his eye from across the room, and Alec stood there for a moment, until he decided it was a good idea to walk over. Jace smiled at him sightly, but Alec could not even force a smile onto his face. He couldn’t feel anything at that moment. 

Still, despite how he was feeling, he stood next to his father, and listened to what he was saying, and what the plans were for the first battle. He didn’t complain as he was forced into court, and his silver and blue crown was placed on his head. He didn’t complain as he made the same speeches to the people in smaller towns in Idris. Alec never did complain. He was a soldier who lived like clockwork, and that was all he would ever be.

 


	8. VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pro-tip: don't run away from home because you may end up starting a war!

It was late at night when Magnus finally returned to his home in Eidolon. The looks on the guards faces as they let him through the gates explained just how bad the war had already got, even though it hadn’t started. 

Word seemed to travel quickly, as not only were people starting to gather around outside the gates, but as soon as Magnus walked inside from the stables, his father was storming towards him, a look of anger mixed with many other different emotions was covering his face.

Magnus expected him to shout at him, and maybe even hit him, but the King did no such thing. Instead, he pulled Magnus into his arms, cradling his son like he was still an infant.

“Oh, Magnus, you terrified me, I thought-”

“You thought that Idris had captured me, didn’t you?”

The King nodded, and then moved away from his son slightly, but left his hands on Magnus’ shoulders. “Where did you go?”

“I went to Idris,” He started to explain. Magnus could easily tell his father everything he’d heard while in the castle. He could tell him about the soldiers, and Izzy, and _Alec_ \- but Alec was exactly the reason why he would lie. “I stayed in an inn. They would not stop talking about the war. And they even spoke about me.”

“That is all you have heard?” The King asked, and Magnus nodded, feeling bad that he was lying to his father, but not all bad, as he was lying to save Alec and his family.

The King ushered Magnus toward the dining hall, where the guards left them to talk inside on their own. Magnus knew that they thought it was time alone for the King and his son to reconcile, but he took this as an opportunity to prevent the war from happening. 

“Will you still ride to Idris tomorrow?” Magnus asked. “Now that I’m back, there’s surely no need for the war to happen.”

“Magnus, this war has been building up for two decades now. The war was not just about you- it was about finally regaining what is ours. Idris must fall if we can survive.”

This was not what he wanted to hear. Magnus sank bank in his seat, and felt tears brimming in his eyes. “I don’t want to fight.” 

“You must, Magnus,” The King said, his voice almost soothing, despite the words that were coming out of his mouth. “Now you are back, I want you on the front line, alongside me.”

“But I’ve had no time to train.”

“You can use common sense,” The King stood up, forcing those last words to be the final decision. “Now, go to your chambers and rest well. We leave early in the morning. And remember- this is for the greater good.”

The King left Magnus, on his own, sitting in the dining hall, his head swirling, imagining seeing Alec, and then seeing Alec _dead-_ he could not force anymore air out of his lungs, and had to stand up to clear his mind of all thoughts. 

He did not stay in the dining hall for any longer. He made his way upstairs, to his chambers. It was almost like he had left it, only slightly cleaner and more tidy. He walked over to the window, and looked out, at the city down below. People were still crowding around the gates, desperate for a glance of the Prince who had returned from Idris. One by one they were leaving, more than likely hoping to see Magnus and his father as they rode to Idris in the early morning. 

The moon was bright in the sky, and it made Magnus feel low. He had always been a vibrant person, but right now he felt dull. He felt like all the colours he was made up of had turned to grey. 

He changed into his night clothes, and pulled his most comfortable clothes out of his cupboard, which he would wear tomorrow, under the armour that he’d surely be equipped with. When he crawled into bed, he, surprisingly, fell asleep quickly. There was no telling whether that was because he was tired, or because he did not want to think of anything at all. 

* * *

When Magnus was shaken awake by one of his maids, he had no idea what was going on, whatsoever. He did not think back to the happenings of the last five days, nor did he hear all the shouting on the streets below.

Instead of using common sense, he just rolled over, ignoring the maid, ignoring everything, even the smell of tea and bread with jam, which was filling his nose. 

“Your highness, please, you must eat and get ready. Your father is already downstairs, and has instructed us to feed you here so you may want to get dressed for war.”

Magnus groaned, finally realising what was going on, and then shook his head. “Stab me, right here,” He said, muffled by the pillow. “I’ll say it was a battle wound, then at least I can continue to sleep with the chance of surviving the attack.”

“I cannot do that to you,” The maid said, obviously trying to hold back a laugh. “But I can give you some food and tea which may wake you up a little more.”

Magnus, surprisingly, did not complain. He assumed that this was the last time he’d see his maids, or anyone in the castle, for that matter. If he were to die today, then at least he would not have to attend court again. 

He sat up, and started to eat his food, while his maids rushed around, bringing his armour into his room, and started to help him dress as he tried to drink his tea. The armour, which he’d only worn a couple of times in his life as a formality, was uncomfortable and heavy and Magnus complained several times, which only made his maids laugh at him. They were being casual around him, which was very unlike them, and Magnus assumed that it was probably because they were thinking the same thing as he was- they’d never see each other again. 

Once he was dress and full up from his breakfast, he clambered his way downstairs, wondering why he didn’t just dress down here. But then he noticed all of the soldiers in the halls, and realised that that was probably the reason why. 

He saw Ragnor, the field marshal, standing alongside another soldier, who was small, standing next to him. Magnus walked over, his feet making loud noises as they hit the ground. 

When Ragnor saw him, he rolled his eyes- Magnus had always been very fond of the man, but he wasn’t quite sure if Ragnor felt the same way. 

“Your highness,” Ragnor bowed, but if he could do anything to Magnus, it would be to punch him in the gut. 

“This is the Prince?” The soldier beside Ragnor asked, his voice unusually high for a man. 

“Yes, Catari-” Ragnor cut himself off. 

“Well, now you’ve blown my cover!” The soldier groaned, and Ragnor looked ashamed. 

“Catarina, I’m sorry.”

Catarina, the soldier, who apparently was not a man at all, bowed to Magnus. “Your highness, it is lovely to meet you. However, I did plan on you never seeing my face and assuming that I was a man.”

Magnus lifted the visor of the helmet up, and saw that, under all of her armour, Caterina was a tiny, blue eyed girl with a small smile on her face. She wasn’t threatening at all. Nor did she look like a very good solider. 

“And how did you sneak in here?” Magnus asked, and she shrugged, her armour clunking.

“Ragnor got me in. Somehow.”

Magnus couldn’t help but smile, and this cause Caterina to smile wider too. He dropped the visor carefully, so as not to hurt her or anything, and then turned to look for his father in the sea of people. He couldn’t see him, but some of the soldiers did see him, and Magnus had to shout a goodbye to Caterina and Ragnor as he was dragged off to God knows where.

Luckily, these soldiers seemed to know where Magnus wanted to go, and where he was wanted. Soon enough, Magnus had his crown on his head, and then was jumping up onto a horse alongside his father, with Ragnor at his fathers other side. Then they were leading the way out of the castle grounds, through the city streets, not stopping, but also looking at the people who were waving them off, wishing them good luck, and praying for them to win the battle. 

Magnus for some reason, didn’t actually know what he was supposed to be feeling. His stomach was in knots, but he didn’t feel scared, nor did he feel excited. He felt like he just _was,_ and he supposed that that was a good enough way to feel for now. 

* * *

“If we do not return today, then pledge your allegiance to my mother and my sister, Queen Maryse and Princess Isabelle,” Alec said, his voice practically booming throughout the city centre. “Idris must stand together in times of war, and we must stay strong when we could become weak. If we return, then know that we have fought hard to win whatever is rightfully ours. If my father and I do not return, but our soldiers do, then we have won. Our deaths do not serve as the end.”

Everyone present clapped, and Alec wasted no time in stepping down, and climbing back on his horse. He was shaking a little, as he’d never been a big fan of public speaking especially in front of his father who he knew would judge every single word he said. 

As soon as everyone was ready, they rode south, out of the tiny town which was a mile away from the castle, and towards the Eidolon-Idris border. There was nothing Alec wished for more than to be able to turn back, and to go home to his mother and sister, but that was not what a good Prince did. So he kept on riding, close next to his father, his heart hammering in his chest, and his armour clunking against his horse.

At some moments, when he was sure his horse could find the way on her own, he closed his eyes, willing for everything that had happened in the past few days to just be a dream. He didn’t want to remember any of it, nor be a part of it. It felt almost surreal to him, and he wished that it just hadn’t been real at all. 

Once they were at the border, they continued to ride. They would ride until they were face to face with the Eidolon army. And then they would fight to the death, and whoever would give in first would lose. What they would loose, Alec was not sure. It could be anything, but it would be up to the winning nation to decided the fates of those of the losers. 

When someone shouted a warning of the Eidolon army ahead, Alec instantly stopped, as did his heart, when he saw Magnus. 

“I can’t breathe,” He said to his father, who looked at him, and shook his head. 

“Alexander, you will be fine. You are a good solider,” Robert looked away from his son, as Jace called out towards the Eidolon field marshal, and the Eidolon field marshal shouted back. 

Alec couldn’t even register what they were saying to each other, but even before he could force himself breathe again, people were charging towards and away from him, and there he was, completely still on his horse in the middle of a battle. 

Alec, for once in his life, could not bring himself to be a good Prince or a soldier. Nor could he work out how to make his lungs work, and to get the blood flowing around his body again. Then, he noticed, Magnus riding towards him, and everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have been enjoying this story so far. I do not know how much longer this story will last. I have ideas, and know where I would like the story to go, but I can't predict how many more chapters it will have. I plan to write some more Malec fanfictions, but I tend to go months without writing, so when I do finish this, you must give me some time to find inspiration for it. 
> 
> This inspiration came from the Shadowhunters!Malec kiss, and also from the song 'War of Hearts' by Ruelle. I got a sense of Romeo and Juliet from that song, and I love medieval royalty (especially the fashion from those times) and so could imagine Prince Magnus and Prince Alexander falling in love despite their love being forbidden!
> 
> Anyway, make sure to keep on coming back to this fanfic, and tell your friends about it too (that would be really great). Also, be sure to share it on tumblr or instagram or wherever, and feel free to send me the links so I can feel extra grateful towards you all! Thank you! xo


	9. IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a beach holiday! Sorry, wrong story- time to run away from a war to the beach!

Magnus had seen Alec, from across the field, and had headed straight towards him, Athos galloping as fast as he could to make it to Alec before anyone else could get to him. He’d dodged attacks on the way over- mostly from the lower Idris soldiers who wanted to be the ones to kill the enemy Prince- but he’d made it, and just before he got to Alec, Alec’s eyes had closed, and he’d fallen off of his horse. 

The horse was now whinnying, nudging at Alec, who did not stir. His crown had fallen off, and was laying beside his head. Magnus wasted no time in climbing down from Athos, and desperately trying to pick Alec up. But Alec was bigger and taller than him, and a lot heavier. Magnus could just about move him a few centimetres, but would definitely not be able to get him to safety. 

He tried again, despite the impossibility of getting any further. Really, he was just wasting time. If Alec did not wake up anytime soon, the chances were that both of them would die. 

Magnus was loosing hope, and the two horses stood next to them, kicking at anyone who came too close. 

“Alexander, please work with me here,” Magnus begged, but Alec didn’t listen, nor did he wake up. Magnus only looked away from Alec, when Alec’s horse was knocked aside, and someone thrust their sword towards Magnus. He managed to dodge it, and, pulling his sword out of its sheath, swung it as high as he could, and brought it down through, slicing through the persons arm. 

The person screamed, and Magnus stopped for a second, horrified by what he’d done. He couldn’t just sit and wait forever, though. He stood up, keeping a tight grip on his sword, and guarded Alec with his life. 

Magnus fought, as best as he could, silently begging for Alec to wake up, just to be able to get him out of there. He wasn’t going to let Alec die, and he didn’t care who saw him protecting the enemies Prince. 

Finally, when Alec started to stir, Magnus did not give him much time to gather himself. He was almost instantly forcing Alec up onto Athos. Magnus grabbed Alec’s crown, but then realised that the crowns they wore would make it more obvious as to who they were. So, he dropped Alec’s crown back on the floor, as well as his, and then pulled himself up onto his horse. And then they were riding off, with Alec balanced against his back, and his breath caught in his throat.

They encountered several people, who tried to knock Magnus off, and some people who tried to knock Alec. The main goal for the soldiers were to kill the King and the Prince of either country, as, usually, the field marshal would then surrender. Even without their crowns, they were still targets, as they were the royal blue and crimson red of Idris and Eidolon, but more people who did not know who they were ignored them, as they were trying to find the Princes and Kings. Magnus would never give up. He was going to protect Alec, and make sure he was safe, even if it meant his life had to end to do so. 

* * *

They rode, for a long time, as far away from the battle field as they could. Over time, Alec, though still very weak, regained his strength. He did not question where he was, or even who Magnus was. He just gripped on tight, and did not let go.

Eidolon was a small, with mostly cities, but it was also coastal country, with miles worth of beaches, and Magnus thanked the Gods that he’d managed to find one of them.

Though he’d spent most of his life in the city, he also did spend a lot of time on the beach, especially in the summer. The only thing he hated about the beach was the sand that got in-between your toes, but other than that, he loved it. 

But now, he was thinking more about Alec than playing in the sand. He found the grassiest area of the beach, where they would not be found if anyone was looking for them, and climbed off, leaving Alec still sitting on Athos. He looked ready to pass out again, and so Magnus quickly helped him climb off, and let him lay down on the sad. 

Alec could not get any words out, and instead he laid there, staring out at the sun that had only started to rise above the sea. Magnus could barely take his eyes off of him. He looked peaceful but so upset, his eyes filled with tears but none yet falling out. Magnus wanted to comfort him, but was worried that Alec would push him away, and he did not want that to happen. 

So, he tied Athos up to a wooden post, and left him there. He seemed happy, and that allowed Magnus to pay attention to Alec again. 

The tears were still in his eyes, not a single one falling. Magnus looked at him, and then Alec looked up, and smiled ever so slightly. “You can sit with me, if you want,” He said. “I’m not scared of you. Not anymore.” He added, and it made Magnus’ heart ache. 

He sat down in the sand, next to Alec, and started to remove his armour. It was already too hot, especially with the thick metal covering practically every inch of his body. He could feel Alec’s eyes on him, but did not ask why. He didn’t really need to. 

Once he’d taken all of his armour off, Alec allowed him to take of his armour too. Soon, there was just a pile of metal in the sand, and Magnus wanted the tide to hurry and come in, to be able to wash it all away. 

“I wonder if they will find us,” Alec thought out loud, and Magnus looked at him, not really knowing how to answer. “Or if they’ll assume us dead.”

“They could find us, and kill us,” Magnus’ voice cracked slightly. He did not want Alec to die, but it could easily happen. “They could kill us for being traitors to our own countries.”

“Probably,” Alec pulled his legs up towards his body, and wrapped his arms around them “I would not be surprised if my parents were the ones to order my execution. It would not be a public choice, I’m sure of that.”

Magnus could see Alec’s eyes grow darker, despite the light that was now shining down upon them. Whereas, in the moonlight, Alec’s skin had looked so pale, in the rising sun it looked tan, the sunlight seeping into his skin and making him glow. 

Magnus could not look away. The tears in Alec’s eyes seemed to have faded away, and Magnus couldn’t tell whether that was through hopelessness or that he’d deemed it stupid to be upset any longer. 

When Alec looked at him, Magnus’ heart sped up. Alec smiled, and Magnus felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. “I can’t hate you,” Alec whispered, as if it was a secret that no one else could hear. Not even the sea or the sun. It was meant for only his and Magnus’ ears. “I could never hate you. I thought about it, and I don’t know why you came to Idris, but you came, and I’m glad you did.”

“I did not plan on coming to Idris,” Magnus decided it was best to tell the truth from now on. “I ran away, and when I stumbled on you, I thought you were…you were _beautiful._ But I’d been conditioned to think only about my country. I let you take me to your home. And then I instantly knew that thinking of only my country was not what I should do.”

“When we kissed…did you mean it? Did you actually want to kiss me?” Alec asked, and Magnus instantly sat up, on his knees, and faced towards Alec. 

“I wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you, Alexander. It didn’t take long for me to realise that I care more for you than I did for Eidolon.”

Alec smiled, and then laughed slightly. “That’s what I wanted to hear.” 

Magnus couldn’t help himself- he crawled onto Alec, and looked at him…and then he kissed him, pushing him down into the sand, his hands on his jaw, and his lips moving against Alec’s. He felt Alec smile harder, and for a moment Magnus wondered why God had put their souls into these two bodies, and deemed it fate for them to be together. 

At the moment, he did not complain though. He kissed Alec, desperately, Alec’s hands on his waist, gripping him as if he didn’t want to let go. And then Magnus shivered as he felt Alec’s hands slide under his loose shirt, and his fingernails dug into his skin, but he didn’t care. All he could feel was _Alec,_ and that was what he needed most in the world right now.

Maybe they could just live out their days by the beach, where very few people came, unless they were fishing, but those fishermen tended to mind their own business. If they built a house, somewhere near here, they could live together until they died, and they would be happy. 

Magnus had learnt not to want, but instead he’d learnt it better to just daydream. Maybe that was just the best way to go about things. But if he was daydreaming right now…he really did not want to wake up anytime soon. 


	10. X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes no news is good news. Until it's bad.

Jace looked at the bodies that laid on the ground around him. Next to him, upon his horse was Ragnor Fell, the field marshal from Eidolon. In their hands, were the crowns of the Kings and the Princes of both Eidolon and Idris. Jace, at the sight of Alec’s crown, had uncontrollably wept, and had been comforted by both Simon and surprisingly Ragnor. But no matter how long they searched, they could not find the bodies of Alec or Magnus. 

They very few people who were left returned to their home countries, and announced that a truce had been made between Eidolon and Idris. Though the people were not overly happy, they were more distressed by the fact that their rulers had died. The people of Eidolon were left without a ruler, which made Ragnor the temporary leader, until they were able to find a replacement. 

In Idris, Queen Maryse and Princess Isabelle were shocked devastated, unable to comprehend the fact that half of their family had been killed in the space of a day. 

But the countries merged for the funerals, all respecting and all mourning, giving condolences to one another, and praying for the good health of either countries. 

The funerals were lavish, both sending off their rulers and Princes with the respect that they deserved.

At the end of the day, after most of her afternoon evening was spent following after her mother, and crying for her brother and father to come back to her, Isabelle went into her’s and Alec’s private library, and sat on the sofa that Alec loved so much. She imagined him sitting on it, reading aloud to her when she was younger, and then she started to weep, her black hair falling and tumbling around her face as she rested her head in her hands, in an attempt to muffle her cries. 

She had always wanted and waited to grow up and watch her brother become King. There was nothing else in this world that she wanted to see than to see him happy. The only comfort that she found in his death was the fact that, somewhere, in heaven, Alec would be with Magnus. She wondered if he’d known that Magnus was the Prince of Eidolon, or if that would be a surprise to her brother. 

Either way, he would have Magnus there to take care of him, and their father with them too. Isabelle hoped that Alec was happy there, and in heaven no one would care whether you liked men or women. She loved both Alec and her father incomprehensibly, and could not wait for the day she could see them again. 

* * *

Though they had fallen asleep at sunrise, and had awoken at sunset. Magnus did not know how it had happened, but he and Alec were tucked up together, no space between them, keeping each other warm. He liked this; being able to wake up and see Alec gave him feelings he’d never felt before.

He stood up, and walked over to Athos, who was awake and whinnying when he saw Magnus. 

“Hello,” Magnus whispered, and patted his head. “I’m sorry, I have nothing to feed you, but when Alexander awakes, then I shall, ask him. Then we can go and find you some food, alright?”

“Ask me what?” Alec asked, and Magnus looked over to see him now sitting up, sand in his hair. 

“I wanted to know whether you think it is right to return home.”

Alec stood up, and walked over to Magnus, who was still petting his horse. “I think we cannot stay here forever. We will be found eventually. Or if not, we cannot leave our families with the thoughts of us dead.”

Magnus nodded at him, agreeing with what he said. “As we are in Eidolon, I suggest we return back to my castle, to see my father and announce that I am not in fact dead, as I assume they presume. If Eidolon lost the battle, then we can make a quick escape…or you can plead for my life.” Magnus laughed, and Alec rolled his eyes at him. 

“I am sure they will not wish to kill you.” 

“You never know, Alexander. People are unpredictable.”

Alec just smiled at him, and leant in for kiss. Magnus kissed back, enjoying what, to him, could easily be their last kiss. But to Alec, who seemed to have a sudden amount of hope in him, this would be their fourth or fifth kiss of many, and their last kiss before their new future, which could be, if all turned out well, together. 

They climbed up onto Athos, who had no complaints about taking the Prince’s back to the Eidolon castle, because the castle meant food and water, and that was all he wanted. 

They rode, and Alec gripped onto Magnus tightly, watching as the sun set in front of them, like a candle that was lightly the way but was slowly going out. 

It took them a good few hours to return home, but when they did, the people watch out of their windows and doors, whispering and muttering something about Magnus, and something else about not knowing who Alec was. 

The guards, confused at first, allowed Magnus and Alec into the castle. One of the stable boys had run round to take Athos back, and Magnus and Alec walked up the steps into the castle together. 

The castle, for this time of night, was dimly lit, which was unusual to Magnus, as his father liked having a lot of light. He did not question it, but his pulse did raise, wondering why his father hadn’t instructed the servants to make sure the castle was bright. 

They made their way towards the throne room, and the doors were pulled open by two guards. 

“The Prince has returned,” One of the guards announced, and in the middle of the room, Ragnor looked up at Magnus and Alec. He looked shocked, and ran over to Magnus, pulling him into a tight embrace. 

“I thought you were dead,” Ragnor whispered into Magnus’ shoulder, causing Magnus to laugh. 

“It would take a lot more than a silly war to kill me, Ragnor. I am the Prince of Eidolon, afterall.” Magnus laughed, but then he was half pushed away by Ragnor. 

“No, you’re not the Prince,” he said. “Magnus, you’re the King.”

* * *

Alec stood to the side and watched as Magnus shouted at Ragnor, trying to understand how on earth his father had been killed.

“Did you not do more? Were you not protecting him? He was getting old, Ragnor, so why did you not look out for him?”

Ragnor’s eyes were cast down to the floor. “I did protect him, your highness. But everyone wanted his blood to be spilt. And so much _was_ spilt. I have never seen so much massacre in my life.”

Magnus looked ready to shout again, but this time Alec stepped in, and held him back. “Magnus,” He whispered in his ear, and Magnus’ shoulders fell, giving in to Alec’s calm plea. 

Ragnor, and the guards in the room all seemed to be at ease as well. The Prince’s anger had died down, but that was most definitely not the end of his sadness. 

Alec did let go of him, when he knew that Magnus would not lash out again. Magnus didn’t turn around to face him, but instead walked over to his father’s throne, and ran his hands along the shiny oak and gold that it was made out of. Then he glanced over to the two crowns which were proudly on display in the corner of the room. 

“The battle…what happened?” He asked. 

“It ended with a truce,” Ragnor stepped forward, but did not get too close to Magnus. “The ruler of Idris is visiting tomorrow to sign a pact-”

“What pact?” Magnus could not force himself into his fathers throne, and so sat down in the Prince’s. 

“The pact that Idris and Eidolon will have that will prevent any further wars. We are to become allies.”

Magnus did not smile, though Alec could tell he was happy that there would be no more wars- even if the final one had resulted in his fathers death. 

“The King of Idris shall arrive tomorrow?” Magnus asked. 

“No,” Ragnor frowned. “I do believe it to be the Queen now.”

Alec’s heart suddenly dropped. “What do you mean _now_?”

“You’re Alexander aren’t you?” Ragnor asked. “They said you were dead too…My apologies, your highness, but the King…your father…he too was killed in the battle.” 

It seemed that this day would forever scar Alec. He swallowed hard, and Magnus walked over, and stood in front of Alec. Neither of them could form anymore words that would make the other feel better about their situations. 

Ragnor coughed, and still they did not look up at him. “Perhaps you should both retire to your chambers,” He suggested. “It has been a long day. I shall start to get everything together for tomorrow, and also inform Idris of the safety of Prince- _King_ Alexander. Is that alright, your highness?”

Magnus nodded. “Yes, that sounds like a terrific plan,” He grabbed Alec’s wrist and squeezed, and the only way of communicating for Alec seemed to be a long glance at Magnus. “Shall we go?”

The guards opened the door for them, and alone, they headed upstairs towards Magnus’ room. Though Ragnor had meant for them to go to separate rooms, Magnus had not- he let Alec into his room, and then close the door behind them, pulling a chair in front of the door to prevent anyone from getting in. 

When he turned back around, Alec was standing by the window, his arms folded across his chest. He was staring up at the moon which was quite dull and low in the sky, but it was something to look at nonetheless. He was attempting to control his breathing, but at times like this, it was hard to do so. 

Magnus walked over, and stood next to him. “It’ll all be alright eventually, Alec,” Magnus reassured him. “No matter how long it takes for us to get there, we’ll make it all okay.”

Alec just nodded, and then retracted from the window, and walked over to the bed, which he laid down on. Magnus followed, and laid next to him, his hand finding Alec’s in the dark, and squeezing tightly. 

“I feel like I’m alone,” Alec started. “But I do not feel lonely. I do not know how, but that is how I feel.”

“I feel the same way. There are people around, but all of a sudden there is no one to guide me- _us_. It seems we must now take control, and do this all on our own.”

“I have trained for it for so long, but now I wonder if I can really be the King of a country…I can barely go into battle without fainting. What will I do when I have to make decisions for thousands of people?” Alec’s voice was now at a whisper, but it was cutting through the silence like a sharp blade. 

“Maybe we can find a way that we shall not do this alone…but together.” Magnus suggested, and he swore he heard Alec laugh. 

“If you think that can happen, then you believe it,” Alec turned to face Magnus, and Magnus saw the moonlight reflect in his eyes. “For now, I shall mourn the loss of my father and worry for my mother and my sister. I do not wish to think about being King any longer. Nor having to do it on my own.”

Alec then leaned forward, and kissed Magnus’ forehead. Magnus, though he could not see any tears, could feel the wetness of Alec’s face. He wiped Alec’s face with his hands, and then buried his face in Alec’s chest. 

“You are one of a kind, Alexander,” Magnus said, and he felt himself well up too. “You’re going to be just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! all your positive feedback makes me very happy. i hope you are all enjoying this so far. i think we are just over half way through this fic, which is sad, but also good that there will be a (happy? sad? wait and see) end soon! make sure to keep coming back everyday to check if i have uploaded anymore, as my uploading schedule can be anything from 1-3/4 chapters uploaded in a day!


	11. XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec don't go for the usual 'hey mom, I'm gay' approach of coming out. But then again, when have they ever been usual?

Izzy was ushered into the Eidolon castle, following behind her mother, both wearing the royal blues on their dresses and cloaks that signified where they had come from. She felt completely out of place in the castle, despite the fact that she was a Royal- it was not as if she had never been in a castle before,but right now, she did not feel right. 

Nevertheless, her and her mother were directed into the throne room, which, to Izzy, was terribly small for a throne room, and terribly dark as well. The Idris throne room was one of the biggest rooms in their house, with big windows, and candelabras lining the walls to produce as much light as possible. 

But then she remembered that the Eidolon castle was new, and a lot smaller than the castle she lived in. Idris had taken the Eidolon castle as their own, and on a budget, Eidolon had had to construct a new one in the quickest amount of time possible. 

Izzy, at first, saw only Magnus, in what she assumed was the throne of the King, wearing a crown- the King’s crown. It was weird, to think of his as royalty. She had known him when she believed he was only important to her brother and not to the Eidolon hierarchy.

Then she saw her brother, to the side of the room, watching her as she walked him. She assumed that he did not want to hug her as much as she wanted to hug him. He had not been through what she had. She’d only been told this morning that he was still alive, and only now had she really started to believe it. 

The doors shut behind her and her mother, leaving only themselves, a few guards, Alec and Magnus in the room. That was when Izzy allowed herself to run over and hug her brother. He lifted her up off the ground a little, and gripped her tightly. “Alec, you have no idea, they told me you were dead.”

“I know,” Alec whispered, and he squeezed her. “I’m sorry that I made you worry.” He dropped her down, and she stepped back, so she could cup his face. 

“It’s not your fault,” She smiled slightly. “I didn’t want to lose you or father. But I’m glad you’re going to come home.”

When Izzy turned back around, Magnus was watching them. She apologised to him, and then walked back over to her mother. 

“Don’t apologise, Isabelle,” Magnus smiled, and Izzy relaxed a little. “I am afraid we must get straight down to business before you can spend any quality time together.”

Magnus stood up, and walked over to Maryse. Izzy stood there, quietly, knowing her place and that she should not interfere.

“Your son,” Magnus started. “Is now the King. Correct?”

“Not officially,” Maryse replied. Magnus raised his eyebrow. 

“But he will be. After his coronation?"

“ _If_ he has a coronation.”

“What do you mean by that?” Alec cut in.

“If you do not wish to be King, then you do not have to, Alexander,” Maryse looked at her son. He was still standing where he had been standing when they had walked it. “If you do not wish to be King, then you know I can do perfectly well as Queen.”

“If he doesn’t wish to be King, then we may have a problem on our hands.”

Maryse frowned at Magnus. “Why?”

“It seems that, after centuries of fighting, Eidolon and Idris have come up with some kind of truce,” Magnus started to walk away from Maryse and Isabelle, who were clearly quite as confused as the other was. Alec, however, was not. 

“Yes, and what to it? It’s a truce to prevent anymore wars.” Maryse said.

“It’s a truce, yes, but it’s also a contract,” Magnus sat back on his throne. “And this contract will have some things that my country and I want, and also some things that your son, _the King,_ and his country want.”

Maryse looked at Alec, who did not say a word. “Have you already agreed to this, Alexander?” She asked. 

“He has,” Magnus nodded. “He’s the rightful heir to the throne. The eldest son shall always get the throne when his father dies. And I do not see another older son anywhere around here.”

Maryse instantly became angered, and stepped forward to shout at Magnus. But she was not the ruler of a country, and she was also a woman. Any anger shown towards a King could end in her death.

Magnus coughed. “As I was saying- Alexander and I have both agreed on some terms for the truce.”

“What are these… _terms_?” Maryse asked. 

“Firstly, of course, no wars between our countries, which will make us allies. And, we both agree that a marriage would also be a good term to agree with too.”

“A marriage?” Maryse seemed shocked, but not angry. “Of course, I’m sure Isabelle would be happy to-”

“Not between Izzy and I,” Magnus corrected her. “Between _Alexander_ and I.”

This time, Maryse could not hold back whatsoever. She hiked up her skirts and stomped her way over to Magnus. He stood up, ready to defend himself, despite the guards rushing towards Maryse to stop her from attacking him. 

But even the guards were shocked, confusion plastered all over their faces. “What do you mean, between Alexander and you?” Maryse spat. 

“I mean that I want to, and am going to marry your son,” Magnus said calmly. “Of course, before it can happen there will laws we must change, but it is what we have agreed, and so it will be what will happen.”

“No,” Maryse shook her head. “By the Angel, two _men_ cannot marry. Why will you not marry Isabelle? At least she’s a woman!”

“I don’t want to marry her,” Magnus replied. “I want to marry your son. Whatever you want to say, Maryse, I’d advise you to say it now. But you cannot change what will happen.”

Maryse turned to Alec, who met her gaze. “Alexander, I didn’t raise you to be…to be…so _disgusting,”_ Her nose crinkled, horrified by her own son. “This is the worst sin!”

Maryse pushed the guards away from her, and stormed out of the throne room. Izzy did not try to stop her. If fact, she was happy that her mother had left. If she’d said anything that could upset Magnus and Alec, Izzy would have been the first one to stand up to her. 

“She took that better than I’d expected,” Alec muttered, and Izzy looked over at her brother. He was now by Magnus’ side, and Magnus was looking at him so _lovingly_ that it made her heart ache. 

“I’m shocked that you have the courage to do this,” Izzy said to them. “It’s big change, if this whole marriage thing ends up working.”

“Trust me, Isabelle,” Magnus placed his arm around Alec, who seemed unsure, but also happy by the sudden touch. “There are many more big changes to come.”


	12. XII

Maryse did not announce her departure, but at dinner, it was apparent that she had returned back to Idris. Around the dining table, were only Alec, Izzy and Magnus. Magnus was sitting at the head of the table, but he felt weird. He’d never sat in his fathers chair before. It was all new, and he wondered if he’d ever get used to it. 

“I supposed I should return home tomorrow,” Izzy said, and Magus shook his head. 

“Please, stay as long as you want to,” He smiled at her. “You’re welcome here anytime.”

“I must return. Mother will call be a traitor. Or something of the sort.”

Alec could not help but snort into his beef. Magnus glanced at him, and Alec hid his face in embarrassment. 

“I shall arrange for a carriage for you back home,” Magnus said to Izzy, but glanced over to one of the guards, who took that as an order, and left the room. 

“Thank you Magnus,” Izzy smiled. “And thank you for what you’ve done. Not just for me but for Alec. And for our countries.”

Magnus shook his head. “Nonsense. I’ve done nothing yet.”

“Well, whatever you say you _will_ do _,_ I’m already grateful for it. You are a good King. You should be proud of yourself.”

After their meal, Izzy left, going to her room, as did both Alec and Magnus. There were no guards around, which allowed Magnus to sneak Alec into his room. It wasn’t as if they’d say anything, even if they had seen them. 

“The plan worked,” Magnus smiled as he sat down on his bed, leaving Alec standing up by the door. 

“I can’t tell how long for, though,” Alec admitted, and Magnus’ face dropped a little. “I’m sure my mother will do everything to prevent it from going ahead.” 

Magnus patted the bed beside him, signalling for Alec to sit next to him. He did as he was asked, and that was when Magnus kissed him. Alec wondered if he would ever get tired of kissing Magnus, and without hesitation, he decided the answer to that was no. 

The kiss was not harsh or fast, as their other kisses had been. This one was soft, reassuring and made Alec feel at peace. He could live in that moment, and did not want Magnus to pull away. 

“She won’t stop the wedding,” Magnus promised him. “I shall not let her. I will not let you go again, Alexander. I think my heart would stop if you left me.”

Alec let out a small laugh, his entire face lighting up. “I’m sure it would not.”

Magnus could not help realise how much he was in love with Alec, right there and then. When Alec was happy, it seemed to radiate off of everything and everyone, and this time, it radiated off of Magnus’ soul, and caused him to fall hopelessly in love with the boy. 

“I don’t believe in love at first sight,” Magnus whispered. “But I believe love can happen quickly, and so quickly that it can take you by surprise.”

Alec laughed again. “Are you confessing your love to me?”

“Indeed,” Magnus could not prevent the grin that covered his face. “I know that I do not want anything else in the world, if that means that I can have your heart for eternity.” 

Alec shook his head, but was laughing at Magnus, and there was so much joy in his expression that Magnus had to kiss him again, to taste the happiness that, deep down, Alec was filled with. 

To them both, it seemed so odd, and so ridiculous, for the Kings of two countries who had years worth of anger towards each other, to be laying together, kissing, and acting as if, even for just a moment, that they had not a care in the world. And they didn’t. Not really. They had power. If anyone wanted to go against them, they would just be able to ignore it. 

That was why, as they fell asleep a while later, Magnus did not care if anyone walked in on them, half undressed and laying close. He was in love with this man, and nothing could ever stop that. 

* * *

In the morning, after Izzy had left, Magnus and Alec finished the work on the contract they had drawn up, signed it, and presented it to court. Of course, the court were horrified by the changes in the laws they had made.

They questioned the passing of the law of same-sex couples being able to marry, especially in that day and age, but, thankfully, in the end Alec and Magnus got their way. Magnus was the King, and even if someone wanted to argue against him, what he said went, and there was no changing that. 

It was, however,a sad fact that Alec would have to return to Idris for a while. He _was_ the King, but as Idris was based completely on tradition, the people wanted to see him have a coronation before they saw him as the King. Magnus did not want to see him go. If he really did completely have his way, Alec would stay by his side for the rest of his life, and then still after that. But he knew he had to let him go, as within a month, he’d be back with Alec. As long as everything went to plan. 

Alec did not leave straight away, but the day after the changes in the law had happened, he returned home, leaving Magnus alone with only Ragnor to entertain him.

He spent most of his time playing chess with Ragnor, having Ragnor read out loud to him, or reading alone in his library. It was terribly boring, being the King and being alone in a relatively large castle, but somehow Magnus managed to get through his days, up until he received the invitation to Alec’s coronation. 

He knew that Alec would have set everything up perfectly, and though he was excited for the coronation, he was much more excited to finally see Alec again. On his way there, he couldn’t stop the feeling in his stomach, that was growing bigger and bigger the closer he got to the castle. 

The streets were lined with blue and white decorations, and Magnus couldn’t help but marvel at the grandness of it all. In Eidolon, once a King died, his heir would take over, and that would be the only formality. But, he knew, in Idris, everything had to be bigger and better, and shouldn’t have been surprised by the fact that people were cramming themselves along the streets to get a glimpse Alec as he paraded them, later in the day. 

Magnus arrived at the castle, and was welcomed in by the servants and maids, who all seemed to recognise him from when he’d stayed before. Though, this time, he was treated with more respect, as before, they had not known who he was, and he assumed now, Alec had told them to treat Magnus the best out of everyone. 

The throne room was a lot bigger than it was in Eidolon, and so they were able to fit a lot of people in, to witness Alec being crowned. As Alec’s fiancee, Magnus was allowed to stand close to the thrones, but not too close, as all attention was going to be on Alec when he arrived. 

And when he did, Magnus lost his breath at the sight of him. He’d seen Alec in royal attire before, but nothing like this. His suit was dark blue, and the fur draped around his shoulders was pure white. He was still wearing his Prince’s crown, but he looked like a King already. 

He made his way up the steps towards the throne, but just before he got to the top, he knelt on one knee on the steps, and bowed his head.

Alec glanced towards Magnus as one of the religious leaders brought the King’s crown over, and Magnus held his breath, waiting to witness what was going to happen next. 


	13. XIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is Alec such a drama Queen? Sorry, I meant Izzy...

The man placed the crown upon Alec’s head, and Alec stayed down, as the man blessed him, and made him promise several things. Then, the man stepped back, and allowed Alec to stand up. “Alexander Gideon Lightwood, you are now the King and ruler of Idris. You have promised to rule this country kindly and fairly, and you have promised to give your life for the people. Do you have any words?”

“Yes,” Alec turned around to face the room full of people. He took a deep breath, and then spoke. “I hereby renounce my crown…”

Everyone but Magnus simultaneously gasped. Magnus was not even shocked. In fact, he’d known of this plan all along. 

They’d planned for one of them to give up their crown, so they could go and rule one country beside the other. That way, they would not have to be apart for too long. It made more sense for Alec to give up his crown, because then-

“...and I wish for my sister to take it and become Queen.” Alec finished, and everyone gasped again. All eyes turned towards Izzy, who was standing beside her mother. It had made sense for Alec to give up his crown, because then Izzy could become Queen. She was a worthy ruler, and a brilliant one too. She deserved the crown, after all of the years she’d been told by her mother to just be a lady, for she’d never be a ruler. 

“Alexander, you cannot-” Maryse stepped forward, whispering to her son who was still facing the rest of the room. 

Alec removed his crown, and then turned to face his sister. “Isabelle, please. Take this. I know you’ll be a better Queen than I ever could be a King.”

Izzy shook her head, but stepped forward anyway. The religious leader, who seemed thoroughly confused, took the crown off of Alec, and ordered Izzy to kneel where Alec had been. Alec quickly moved out of the way, and walked over to Magnus, who was looking at him proudly. 

“It’s all coming together,” Magnus whispered to him, and Alec could not prevent the grin that covered his face. 

“I had my doubts, but I am glad this worked.” Alec replied, and slipped his hand into Magnus’ intertwining their fingers. 

The man held the crown above Izzy’s head, who looked like she was about to cry. But she was smiling, and Alec knew that he’d made the right move by giving the crown to Izzy. 

“Isabelle Sophia Lightwood,” The man placed the crown on Izzy’s head carefully. She kept her head down, and was smiling at the floor. “You are now the Queen and ruler of Idris. You have promised to rule this country kindly and fairly, and you have promised to give your life for the people. Do you have any words? Perhaps not any words of abdication, though.”

Izzy laughed, and then stood up. “No words,” She whispered. “For once in my life, I’m speechless.”

Everyone clapped, as Izzy was handed her staff and cloak, and then everyone knelt to her as she exited the room, a huge smile on her face. 

Once Izzy had left, Maryse stormed over to Magnus and Alec, and instantly started shouting at them. “How could you do that, Alec? You planned this coronation for _weeks!_ What good do you think will come of Isabelle ruling Idris? None! That is the answer! _None!_ ”

“Mother, I don’t know if you’ve ever actually met Izzy, but she’s a perfectly good ruler and a perfectly good person. She’ll be just fine. And anyhow, she’ll be much better than you would ever be.”

If Alec had had long hair, Magnus assumed he would have flicked it in his mothers face, as Alec tugged Magnus along with him as they left the room as quickly as possible. 

Magnus couldn’t stop laughing, and neither could Alec. Alec was not one for standing up to people, but it seemed that in the past few weeks, he’d gained so much more confidence than he’d ever anticipated. Magnus liked to think his confidence boost had something to do with him, but he really did not want to blow his own horn. 

After the coronation was usually a party, but, for a while, Magnus and Alec decided that a visit to Alec’s chambers would be a better party than the actual one downstairs. 

They had not seen each other in several weeks, and so it was unsurprising that the moment they were alone, they did not want to be more than inch apart from each other. Magnus realised, as they kissed, and as Alec had pinned him up against the wall, his crown half falling off of his head, that this would be the last time that they’d be apart. Alec could come home with him today, and within the next few months, the laws would have been changed and they would be able to marry. It made Magnus’ chest tighten with happiness. He tightened his grip on Alec’s upper arms, and Alec stopped kissing him for a moment. 

“What is it? You almost broke my arms off.”

Magnus laughed. “I think that was a bit of an exaggeration, Alexander,” He took a long breath. “I just realised that we will not have to be apart for a long time.”

Alec smiled at him. “No, we won’t. We can be together everyday from now on. I think that thought was what kept me going those weeks we were apart.”

Magnus kissed him again, his hands moving from Alec’s arms to Alec’s hair, twirling his fingers through Alec’s dark hair, feeling how soft it was. Alec’s grip tightened on Magnus’ hips, and Magnus had to breathe for a moment. Alec seemed to have a way of making his breathless, and it wasn’t just because of the kissing. 

Their few minutes did not last long, and it was unsurprising when one of the guards knocked on the door, and Alec and Magnus separated as quickly as possibles. 

“Your highnesses,” The guard bowed, and both Magnus and Alec’s cheeks heated up with embarrassment. “The Queen would like you to both attend her party. And she sends her apologies for…preventing you from spending time together.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Alec muttered, and the guard quickly excused himself. 

Alec looked at Magnus, and Magnus looked back, and they both started to laugh. When they calmed down, Alec walked over, from where he’d sprung back to the middle of the room, and grabbed Magnus’ hand, confidence taking over for the second time that day. 

“Shall we go?” Alec asked, and Magnus nodded. In that moment there, he could not help but feel like he was the luckiest person to exist. 


	14. XIV

It was past midnight when Alec and Magnus were finally able to leave. The party seemed to go on forever, with possibly too much drinking on Magnus’ part and really not enough for Alec. He was too busy trying to stop Magnus from getting anymore alcohol by the end of the night. 

Izzy had wanted them to stay for much longer, but she knew there was no way of preventing them from returning to Eidolon. 

When they were about to leave, she hugged Magnus, which almost knocked him off of his feet. 

“Take care of him,” she said to Magnus, and Magnus drunkenly nodded, making Izzy laugh. 

Then she turned to her brother, and hugged him too. Then she kissed his forehead, and stepped back to look at him, as if she  needed to memorise his face. 

“You would have been a good King, Alec,” She whispered. 

“But you will make a greater Queen.”

They hugged again, and Izzy found it hard to let go of him. But when she did, she followed them outside, and made sure she turned around when Magnus and Alec’s carriage pulled away, with most of Alec’s belongings strapped to the top. 

* * *

Once home, in the early hours of the morning, Alec helped Magnus upstairs and into his bedroom. He had never witnessed a drunk Magnus before, but he assumed this would just be the first time of many.

Magnus, though he didn't look it, weighed a tonne, and even Alec, who was extremely strong, had to muster up all his strength to be able to carry Magnus bridal-style up the stairs. 

The guards had offered to carry the King, but Alec had said no, knowing that he was going to be able to do it himself. Just about. 

"Magnus, you owe me for this one," Alec muttered, as he sat Magnus down on his bed, and started to help him undress and change into his night clothes. 

"Well!" Magnus shouted, and Alec had to quickly shush him. "If you wanted to get me undressed and in my bed, all you had to do was ask! I'd-" Magnus stopped to burp. "Happily oblige."

Alec shook his head at him, and could not help but smile when he saw how out of it Magnus was. Magnus didn't even stay awake long enough for Alec to completely help him out of his clothes. He passed out, right there, on the edge of the bed, with one shoe and his shirt off. Alec helped him take the other shoe off, but decided there was no point in disturbing Magnus by attempting to take his pants off, and besides- sleeping in his trousers for one night would not kill him. 

Alec got changed himself, and then lifted Magnus up to help him into bed properly. He pulled the covers over him, and then climbed into bed next to him. He kissed Magnus' cheek, to which he squirmed slightly in his sleep, causing Alec to smile again. Alec then wrapped his arms around Magnus, and closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep. 

* * *

The next few months, mainly for Alec, were hectic. He was still the Prince of Idris, which meant he still had a lot to do as part of the Royal Family, and that added on with the wedding made his life manic.

He had to sign too many documents to count, stating that when he was to marry Magnus he'd become the Prince of Eidolon, and would he be wanting a crown made for the occasion, and would he be changing his name to Magnus' or would he be keeping his own and - at one point, Alec realised that his life beforehand had been a whole lot more relaxed than this had. 

For Magnus, life was not as hectic. Yes, he was the King, but it seemed that the only things the King of Eidolon ever had to worry about was smiling and waving at the people and tasting wedding cake. Though, in all honesty, neither of them had much to do with the wedding plans, Alec still felt like he was the only of the two that was actually doing anything. 

When he brought this up in conversation, Magnus just chuckled, said something about needing to just relax, and that everything would be just fine, and then kissed him for a long time. Not that Alec was complaining. 

Nothing was smooth sailing. They did argue, but that was to be expected. Even so, it did not take them long to make up. 

A lot of the people of Eidolon had not been too happy about one of the Idris royal family marrying into their own family, and especially the Prince at that. There had been many people who were completely against the new allowance of same-sex marriage, and there had been many more who were against Alec even coming near Magnus. 

But rules were rules, and the people who did speak out about it received execution threats from Magnus, and though he had the power to actually do so, Alec expected that he would not really kill any of his own. 

Their wedding date was set for the late summer, and over the few months, more and more people were gathering from the countries around theres. The only people Alec were excited to see arrive were his sister and Jace, who would be attending on behalf of Idris. 

They only arrived two days before the wedding, as of course, Izzy was needed to rule Idris, and in case of war, Jace was needed too. But nevertheless, Alec was excited to see them, and awaited their arrival in the main hall of the castle. 

When they did arrive, he was eager to see them, but as Izzy was the Queen, she had to meet with Magnus before anyone. He was able to see Jace though, and couldn’t stop himself from hugging him as soon as he saw him. 

“It’s not been that long,” Jace laughed, but hugged Alec back tightly. 

“Too long,” Alec replied. “I haven’t spent this much time away from you. Ever.”

Jace just shook his head at Alec, and then they pulled away from the hug. It was true, they hadn’t. They’d been together since they were children, and spending almost eleven out of the twelve months of the year away from each other was the longest they’d ever spent apart. 

When Alec _was_ able to see his sister, neither of them spent much time not hugging. Alec saw Magnus smiling at them over Izzy’s shoulder, and somewhere in his expression was some hint of sadness, as he knew that he was partly responsible for the two of them not seeing each other in several months. 

That night, there was a party, in celebration of the wedding in two days. The next day would be spent decorating and preparing everyone for the wedding, which meant that there would be no time for another party. 

As Alec helped Magnus entertain the guests, he realised that soon enough, he’d be married to Magnus, and he wondered how on earth he’d gone from someone ashamed of who he was to someone able to be in love with exactly who he wanted, in such a short amount of time. 

He was grateful for everything he had, and for the entire night, could not stop smiling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry, this is a very short filler chapter. 
> 
> i didn't really want to share anything about my personal life, but at the moment i'm suffering with severe anxiety and depression and i'm isolating myself a lot from people. it took a lot of effort for me to even think about writing this chapter. i didn't want to disappoint, though, so here it is, and i'm sorry if anyone hates it. 
> 
> i'd really appreciate if people could just bear with me. i will try to get at least one chapter up everyday, but i also have school and if you also suffer with any form of anxiety and depression or know anyone suffering then you'll know how hard it is to even want to get out of bed in the mornings. 
> 
> thank you guys.


	15. XV

The morning of the wedding, Alec and Magnus were prohibited from seeing each other. It was a normal marriage tradition, and they knew it had been something that was going to happen, but that did not mean they didn't yearn to see each other for the entire morning.  
  
Magnus, as well as all of the servants, maids and guards in the castle, had to go to the Throne room early on the morning, to swear allegiance to the King and country. Alec could not help himself, and sneaked away to see if he could catch a glimpse of Magnus in the Throne room.  
  
Unfortunately, there were people guarding the Throne room, and Alex had to pretend he was just walking past, instead of trying to see Magnus.  
  
As they were royalty, both Alec and Magnus had to wear the official colours and attire of their countries. Alec was suited in his black and royal blue army jacket, and Magnus was wearing his fathers robes, which had been passed down and maintained since the first rulers of Eidolon. They were red and gold, and the cloak he had to wear was made out of wolfs fur.  
  
Magnus was the first one into the hall, after the flower girls who had littered the floors with petals. The hall had been transformed into a ceremony room for the day. It was decorated in red and blue and gold, and had over a hundred seats for the guests, which were all filled.  
  
The Eidolon people bowed to him, and the people who were not from Eidolon nodded at him. As soon as he was at the front, Alec walked in. Magnus held his breath and smiled at Alec, who seemed nervous, but smiled back. Once he was at the front, Magnus whispered 'hello' to him, to which Alec just smiled again, unable to get anymore words out.  
  
The priest stood, facing Alec and Magnus, who were standing on the steps, facing him. He was holding a scroll of parchment, with one hand holding the top and the other holding the bottom. "First," he said, looking out at the people watching. "Does anyone have any reason as to why these men should not marry?"  
  
Magnus, had to stop himself from turning around and looking at the people in the crowd. He could imagine Maryse; with her lips tight and set in a straight line, the idea of preventing her son from marrying him flashing across her mind. But he knew she would not do it. She was not entirely kind, but she could not be that cruel- not now.  
  
When no one said anything, the priest nodded. "Good. Now, we may start."  
  
The priest took a deep breath, and Magnus glanced at Alec, who seemed to not be breathing at all. He was too far apart to nudge him, to tell him that he'd be okay, but once Alec saw him staring, he breathed and smiled softly at Magnus.  
  
"Dearly beloved, friends, family, brothers and sisters, we are gathered here today to witness the unity of the holy countries, Eidolon and Idris, and the marriage of King Magnus of Eidolon and Prince Alexander of Idris. Here, we give recognition and attention to one of life's greatest gifts from God- love, and therefore marriage, and also to show our own love to Magnus Bane and Alexander Lightwood. Marriage is a holy way of uniting two souls, and it is a way of thanking God for the souls he has given us. Given that you know this, then please, Magnus, Alexander, join hands, as the signal of the first stop towards your long lives together."  
  
Alec and Magnus did as they were told, and joined their hands together. They shifted to face each other slightly, but only so little that they were still facing the priest.  
  
"Do you, Alexander Lightwood of Idris, take Magnus Bane of Eidolon to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  
  
Alec nodded. "I do."  
  
"And do you, Magnus Bane of Idris, take Alexander Lightwood of Eidolon to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  
  
Magnus smiled. "I do."  
  
"Well then," The priest smiled back. "Please, Alexander, take the ring and say your vows."  
  
Jace stepped forward, and handed Alec the ring. Now, Alec and Magnus turned to face each other, and Magnus gave Alec a smile of encouragement. Magnus gave his left hand to Alec, and Alec took a deep breath.  
  
"I, Alexander Lightwood, Prince of Idris and a child of God, hereby present my soul to you, in the form of this ring, and ask that you, Magnus Bane, King of Eidolon, accept me as your husband, and soulmate," Alec took a moment to breathe. "For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, and may nothing but death do us part." He then slid the ring onto Magnus' ring finger.  
  
Ragnor then stepped forward, and handed the other ring to Magnus. Magnus whispered a thank you, and then took Alec's left hand.  
  
"With this heart, I shall keep us alive. On this day, I'll be yours throughout time. With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never be empty, for I will be your wine. With my fire, I shall keep you warm. If you are lost I shall be your sign. With this candle, I will light your way in the darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine." Magnus pushed the ring onto Alec's finger.  
  
Both of the countries had differing traditions, which just showed in their vows. Either way, almost everyone in the room had been reduced to tears, or their eyes were shiny from holding back tears.  
  
"You have promised to love each other until death, to stay faithful and to care for one another without end," The priest said. "So now, under God's eye and trust, you may kiss."  
  
Magnus wasted no time in kissing Alec. He had to go on tiptoes, even though Alec had leant down.  
  
Everyone, even Maryse, in the room clapped, and the only reason Magnus pulled away from Alec was because he was smiling.  
  
"I now pronounce you King Magnus and Prince Alexander of Eidolon."  
  
Before they were allowed to leave, Alec had to be crowned as the Prince, his silver and sapphire crown being replaced with a new gold and ruby one. Then, Magnus took Alec's hand, and they left the hall, followed by everyone else in the room.

* * *

That evening and night, there was another grand party, celebrating their marriage. This time, Alec was the one to get drunk, though he seemed to be able to hold his drink and only ended up slurring his words slightly. 

It seemed everyone was overly happy, as even Maryse congratulated them on their marriage, and bowed to Magnus. Izzy hugged them both at the same time, almost knocking her own crown off of her head.  
  
"I'm so happy for you both!" She grinned, but then her face fell. "Now _I_ want to get married. Where's Simon?" And with that, she ran off.  
  
As was a weird tradition, when men and women were married, there had to be spectators when they first consummated the marriage, just as proof of the marriage vows. But, thankfully for both Alec and Magnus, as they were both men, no such rules applied to them. They were left to retire alone to their room at the end of the night, and the slightly drunk Alec could not stop himself from telling Magnus how much he loved him as they walked up to their chambers.  
  
"I love you too, Alexander," Magnus said, as he let Alec into his room.  
  
"No, _I love you_ , Magnus." Alec repeated, as if Magnus didn't already know.  
  
"I know, Alec. I love you more than you could ever imagine."  
  
Alec smiled at him, leaning back on the door to close it. He then grabbed the fabric of Magnus' jacket, and pulled him towards his, forcing their lips together, in desperation. Magnus moved back towards the bed, and Alec had already started to work on Magnus' clothes. The fur cloak dropped to the floor, and then the red and gold jacket, and finally the white shirt underneath. Magnus didn't let him get any further, and pushed Alec away for a moment, so he could get to his clothes.  
  
Eventually, on the floor of their room, mixed together, were all of their clothes. They stood there, for a good few moments, looking at each other, taking a moment to appreciate each other, drinking in the views like they were fine wine. Magnus saw the moonlight as it glittered on Alec's skin, accentuating how pale he really was, and then, as he looked up, how alike his eyes were to the sapphires in the Idris crowns.   
  
"I love you," Alec said once again, making Magnus smile. Alec did not give him a chance to reply, as he pushed him onto the bed, and kissed his lips, then his cheeks, his jaw, his neck...  
  
Magnus focused on nothing other than the feel of Alec's lips, and the moonlight bouncing off of his skin. It wasn't like he wanted to focus on anything else, anyway. All he knew was Alec, and all Alec knew was Magnus. And they was the way it was going to stay, forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, thank you for being supportive yesterday. Depression is hard, as is any form of mental health. But, I decided that writing would let me go to another world, and that is what I need right now. 
> 
> I decided to keep this story teen and up, so there was no nsfw scene in this, although there was sort of implied sex, I guess. I hope you enjoyed anyway! :p
> 
> I think there will only be one or two more chapters. maybe one more, and the epilogue. speak to you guys soon!


	16. XVI - Epilogue

The months after the wedding were quiet, but busy enough that Alec did not feel like he was sitting around doing nothing. There would be days when the only thing that Alec and Magnus would do would be to spend the few minutes in the morning in the throne room, and then spend the rest of the day lounging around, but they did spend a lot of the time with the people in the town, and they decided to help fund the building of an orphanage on the edge of town.

Most days they spent reading to each other books that they loved, or books they had never even glanced at before. Magnus’ new hobby was watching Alec practise with his bow and arrows, which was one of Alec’s less known about talents, which Magnus decided he should flaunt a lot more.

The biggest events of the months that followed were Jace’s marriage to Clarissa, the girl he and Simon had fought over for a while. She was a fiery redhead that Alec didn’t take an initial liking to, but the more time he spent with her, the more he got along with her.

The other event was the uproar over the engagement of Izzy and Simon. Whereas Jace had not been royalty but had been a respectable man, and Clarissa had been the daughter of a duke, making their relationship perfect, Izzy was the Queen, and Simon wasn’t even the highest person in the army. Most agreed that she should be married to the Prince of another country, or at least the son of a duke.

Nevertheless, Izzy knew who she wanted to marry, and that was Simon. She listened to no one, not even her mother, who was happier about this engagement than she had been about Magnus and Alec, but still tried to prevent the marriage from going ahead.

Their wedding was set for early the next year, which was something exciting for Alec to look forward to, especially because he was able to return home. Not only that, but Izzy had asked Alec to be her ring bearer, which meant he could be right next to his sister when she got married.

As the year went on, Alec and Magnus found themselves spending more and more time in the orphanage they’d helped fund. It was nice being able to spend time with the people, but especially with the children who did not have parents.

In late October, on one of their visits, they were introduced to two little boys- one who was a newborn, and the other who was a toddler- who had just been abandoned in the early morning.

"Your ‘ighnesses, they ‘ad just been left on the steps of the orphanage,” The woman who ran the orphanage informed them. “They ain’t siblin’s, but they were ‘ere when I got ‘ere this mornin’.”

Magnus could not tear Alec away from the two boys. He was completely smitten with them, and the more Magnus looked at the way Alec looked at them, the more he became smitten with them too.

So, they adopted them.

It was a shock to almost everyone, even to Alec and Magnus themselves. But not only did they already love the boys, but they would need heirs, eventually, and it seemed these boys would be the perfect fit.

There was Max, the youngest of the two, who, as he grew older, turned out to look mostly like Alec. He had those sapphire eyes that Alec had, that reminded Magnus so much of the precious stone of Idris. Max had dark hair like Alec, too. Only his hair seemed blue, almost, especially when it caught in the light. Max was lively, and energetic, and wore his fathers out within minutes. Even with almost everyone in the castle trying to help catch Max, it seemed he was just too fast for anyone.

There was also Rafael, who was two years older than Max, and who looked more like Magnus but had the purest heart and soul of anyone that Magnus and Alec had met. He had dark hair and dark eyes like Magnus, but he was too sweet and too caring for his own good, and was so gentle that it seemed he thought even his own whisper could deafen anyone. The thing he loved more than anything was singing and dancing to songs in foreign languages, and that seemed to be the only time he would ever completely come out of his shell.

As a family, their main hobby together was reading. Both Magnus and Alec had loved reading, and still did, so entertained Max and Rafael by reading to them, and making up stories for them. Alec decided one day, that if his sons were going to write books, Max would write adventure books, and Rafael would write love stories. But he knew they were destined to go down in history for more than only writing books.

Alec and Magnus raised Rafael and Max to be kind, and good, but not to be rulers. Their parents had done that to them, and had ended up pushing them away. If they were to be rulers, it would come naturally. And they'd agreed that Rafael and Max would have the choice of being able to rule when they were older, with Rafael first in line as he was oldest.

There were no wars ever again, between Eidolon and Idris, with the only conflict being between Izzy and Magnus, about who would be the most sparkly at her wedding.

Years went by, and there was no change in the way Magnus looked at Alec. He still saw Alec like he'd seen him that first day, and Alec still kissed him the way he'd kissed him the first time. Every time Alec even glanced in Magnus' direction, his heart skipped a beat. There was no denying the fact that they were in love- even the few people who still opposed the same-sex marriage law knew their King and Prince were completely and utterly in love with each other.

They saw people come and go from their lives, but the one thing that didn't change was each other. Magnus was still as stubborn as he had ever been, and Alec was still this clockwork soldier and Prince, working almost nonstop, even though his walls had been broken down decades ago.

One night, as Magnus was laying in bed reading, and Alec stood, staring out the window, Alec couldn't help but ponder their lives.

"Sometimes I do wonder if we changed our own fates. If we were really meant to meet and fall in love. Or if that was just us playing God."

Magnus looked up from his book, at Alec. The moonlight on Alec's skin never did bore him. "I think that that was the way our fates were set," Magnus replied, and Alec looked over at him. "We were supposed to meet like that, and fall in love like that. Or else we would not be where we are today."

Alec walked over to Magnus, and climbed into bed next to him. "But what if who we are is against God? And because this is really all a sin, he has not been able to control us?"

Magnus laughed, and placed his book down on the bedside table. "Listen to me- this is who were are. God would not have let us happen if he did not agree with it. No matter what you stilly hear people say- our love is real love. I love you, Alexander. There has not been a day that has passed since I met you that I have not been in love with you. If you are regretting our love, then I'm sorry, but it's quite too late for that now."

This time, it was Alec's turn to laugh. He leaned over, and kissed Magnus softly on the lips. He didn't complain when Magnus pulled his hair a little too hard, nor when Magnus was so tired that he fell asleep halfway through one of their kisses.

He was deeply in love Magnus, and Magnus was deeply in love with him, and that's all they'd ever be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading. This is the first time I have ever finished writing a fan fiction, and also my first ever (published) Malec fan fiction! I'm proud of myself and what I have achieved over the last week or so. 
> 
> I'm also grateful to all of you who have read this, whether you start reading in two years from now, or whether you started reading this the day I published the first chapter. Even if you only enjoyed a little bit of this story, then I'm so grateful for that. 
> 
> I'd appreciate any feedback I can get. Please, leave your reviews on here, or on tumblr/Instagram (if you do then send me the link) and I will gladly reply to them. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, and thank you for being a part of this with me.


End file.
